


Scar Tissue: A Dead Man's Redemption.

by MarrishxMe



Series: Scar Tissue [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Genre: AU, Angst, Attempt at humour, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Finn is ofc a cinnamon roll, Fluff, Follow up, Gangstas, Homophobia, I need to stop tagging, Kylo is a slut, Legit a manwhore, Leia as Sherrif, M/M, Poe is a cinnamon roll with Finn omg, Pregnancy, Reylo - Freeform, Slow Burn, Smut, Suggestive Themes, The First Order, The Rebels (ish), Violence, Work In Progress, alternative universe, angst-tastic, gangsta Kylo, its badass ngl, legit this is the most violent thing I've written, some characters are just dicks I guess, strong themes, tea will be spilled
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2018-08-15 16:51:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8064415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarrishxMe/pseuds/MarrishxMe
Summary: The follow up to my Reylo pregnancy 'one shot' which acts like a prologue/preface Fic to this story.





	1. Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!! Really hope you like this follow up, been working on it all week!! I'm really excited about this and I hope you guys are too!! Thank you for all the support on the One Shot of this, and I hope you enjoy the first chapter... :D

**Five years prior...**

"Please, Ben. Please come home."

Leia sobbed a broken sound as she hung up on her son's voicemail once again for the hundredth time. She attempted to soothe her sore mind with her palm as she sat at her desk, it was **23:46** but the time didn't matter anymore. Her husband rubbed his eyes as he stumbled into the room,

"Leia? What are you doing?"

He croaked, Leia met his gaze sadly,

"Trying to reach Ben again, no answer."

She wanted to cry but she was just so tired that all the tears she felt refused to well up in her sunken eyes. Han sighed heavily,

"Come on, Sweetheart. Let's go to bed."

She spared one last glance at their telephone, as if in hope with the last second he would call back, then nodded hesitantly to her husband as she shuffled to bed to try and get sleep to find her. As she lay awake her thoughts of course drifted to her son. He was well into adulthood, 27 to be exact, she didn't mean for him to come _home_ exactly but he would know what she had meant. To come back to being her son again.

She didn't even know if she had the right number to reach him, it just gave her some peace of mind to try calling him. He just upped and left one day out of the blue about six years ago now... And it gave her tremendous heart ache, as if her son had died. She could spend the remains of her life time second guessing as to what her only child was doing that he would cut them off so completely, but she supposed she would never know...  
_________________

Kylo had checked his personal mobile in which The First Order doesn't know about - his mother had called him. Again... He stuffed the phone deeply under the passenger seat to his new Jaguar FX - crisp, black leather lined the insides and the windows were conveniently tinted. A feature he would most definitely need soon.

Kylo Ren had worked his way up to the top to be just below the 'benefactor' himself - nobody knows his real name, but he goes by the name 'Snoke'. Kylo's never even seen his real face - he wore one of the most disturbing masks he's ever seen, even more so than a creepy clown mask. In fairness, _Kylo Ren_ wasn't even his real name - you were _never_ meant to go by your real name. Over the years he's learnt the tricks of the trade and now earns the big bucks as Snoke's right hand man, having taken him under his wing so to speak, seeing Kylo's potential.

Kylo swiftly ducked out of his shiny onyx car and straightened out his suit and tie whilst running his fingers through his raven hair. He stalked under the dimly lit street to the abandoned warehouse that was tonight's meeting place - a different one each time to avoid... Suspicion. The lamp lights flickered ominously and he alternated his gaze from each side to ensure no one was around in the stark night to see a man in a tux enter an abandoned warehouse. Satisfied he wasn't being followed, he opened the dilapidated door.

"Kylo Ren, so glad you could make it."

Snoke said with feigned kindness. Snoke's grey mask of torn flesh still sent chills up his spine. Kylo merely nodded to him and the few around him, also maskless like himself. Kylo wished he could wear his mask along to these meetings as well as his 'jobs' - but wearing them to said meetings was absolutely prohibited. Snoke had to know all the faces he had working for him and you weren't allowed to know his. Only when and where to meet him for a job and then be merrily on your way to living in solitary confinement - but in the comfort of money, particularly if you were as good as Kylo.

"I have a job for you."

And with these words, Kylo stiffened before nodding for him to continue. Snoke gestured for him to step forward to collect a photo that was no doubt taken by one of their own on what they call a Scouting job. This was no Scouting job. Kylo retrieved the picture from Snoke's gloved hand and he felt a lump temporarily constrict his throat. He _knew_ this man. It was nearly always someone you'd never heard of, never seen. But not this man. Snap Wexley - owner of the car repair shop that he handed over to Kylo's father after his smuggling days were finished on account of starting his family. Him and his mother. Snap was kind to his family when Kylo was but a child.

"He still owes one of our companies quite the sum of money. Unbeknownst of the origins of course, but if he still won't give me my money then we'll _take_ it."

Kylo tried to swallow the lump in his throat to look at Snoke sans any emotion at all. The best he could do was frown, feigning confusion. Snoke sounded like he was smiling - but Kylo couldn't tell of course - when he said,

"It's up to you to find him and do what needs to be done to get that money of mine, Kylo."

Kylo composed himself enough by this point to appear almost bored.

"What time?"

This, in their terms, meant 'how long do I have to get this done?'. Snoke leant forward as if to whisper,

"Three."

Meaning three weeks. Three weeks. That was unusually long for this kind of task but Kylo had a feeling that he would need as much time as he could get to essentially terminate a family friend. Snoke scratched his left shoulder atop his cloak like jacket - this meant that Kylo was to start preparations immediately. So as the meeting ensued, Kylo would have to be informed of what he missed next time. Kylo tried to stop his hand from shaking as he tried to open the door to his car - he hadnt experienced anything like this since his first elimination (this was the preferred term).

This was going to be a long three weeks.  
__________________

Rey swiped the back of her forehead with her forearm as she threw herself deeper into the car bonnet - she couldn't remember what the Americans called it and they always found it funny when she said it. Rey was nicknamed 'The Early Bird', as she would come to the repair shop before it opened to help Chewie set up. It was currently 6am and she just wanted to get this damned hunk of junk fixed already.

She'd been working on it for weeks to and fro in her precious hours she could spare between high school and looking after her grandfather as well as trying her damndest to financially support them both - wanting her grandad to live as comfortably as he could, feeling their funds are currently insufficient, she works here. 'Han and Chewie's' quite literally.

It was that morning that she first saw the car, a pretentious sports car. Quite the beautiful specimen, really but Rey automatically hated people who had more money than they needed because they would always waste it. It looked like a brand spanking new, sparkling black Jaguar. _The 2011 Jaguar XF_ , she thought. Rey frowned at the car that was parked across the road to the repair shop. No one got in, no one came out. It just sat there.

 _What is a car like that doing hanging around these parts?_ She thought.

And she couldn't help but notice the car near enough each time she went to work until one night she'd finally decided to just ask Han or Chewie about it on the phone when a voice of velvet sounded from behind her,

"Excuse me, but is the owner of this repair shop in right now?"

She turned to see a man's neck so she quickly flit her eyes further up - _this man was a tree!_ she tried to hide her shock in her thoughts. Though Rey had a 'no boys 'til college' policy he wasn't bad to look at, she had to refrain from biting her lip. He smirked an impish grin as he ran his hand through his Raven locks and Rey snapped herself out of whatever kind of shocked state she was in to answer,

"Um no, no they aren't sorry. Can I take a message or...?"

Kylo knew very well that they weren't here, that's why he used Rey. But he feigned his innocence, quirking his brows,

"Oh, well, if it's not too much trouble could you put this on - uhh ' _Chewie_ ' is it? - yea his desk please?"

He said cryptically, luckily she was young thus naive enough not to think anything of it and not sensing his facade - nobody ever does. She nodded with a bright smile and an 'of course,' a small part of him was almost entertained by her bright and candid demeanour but he had to admit that he did love the accent. When she returned he unintentionally blurted,

"Did you grow up here? You sound like you're from England."

She smiled sweetly so much so that it actually made him smile genuinely in return,

"Oh no, I moved here to live with my grandfather when I was eight."

 _No need to add as to why that was,_ Rey thought sadly. Kylo sensed the slight shift in her smile, how it downcast at the thought so he tried to back pedal before it got awkward,

"Oh right, well it was nice meeting you uhhm...?"

"Rey."

She said warmly and he outstretched his palm to her unthinkingly, she shook it firmly as he spoke,

"Matt."

Oh that was another thing - if you ever interact with another person linked with the person you were here to eliminate, then _never_ give a name you actually go by and _never_ use the same name twice. And with that, Rey peered up at the clock at the repair shop and jumped,

"Oh _shit_! I'm gonna be late!"

She started gathering her things vehemently as she prepared to leave, begging for Chewie or Han to come quickly so she could leave for school. She turned to Matt with an apologetic smile as he frowned,

"Late?"

"For school, I'm sorry Matt it was nice to meet you!"

She stated as she threw on her old denim jacket and wiped the dirt from her face and tried not to react to the gapped mouth of the man she'd met,

"You're still at _school_?!"

"I'm a _senior_."

She said indignantly, she was almost eighteen after all. He blinked,

"In college...?"

She almost laughed as they walked out of the repair shop, standing outside waiting. She shook her head and his eyebrows somehow rose further which only made her laugh internally.

"Well shit."

He laughed shakily and she rolled her eyes.

"Why? how old are you?"

He smirked and she quirked a brow at his response,

"Another time, then you'll know you'll see me again."

She rolled her eyes at his cheeseball line and scoffed,

"Alright _Casanova_."

And with that he'd stalked away at the very moment Chewie's old sky blue Chevy truck rounded the corner. She tried not to think about the mysterious man she'd met that day and it was quite easy when she thought back to her childhood and how absolutely _no one_ could be trusted - she should have asked what he wanted. These thoughts were not random, for through the corner of her eye she'd caught a glimpse of him sliding into the shiny black Jaguar that had been outside the workplace countlessly these last few days. And just like that, Rey's polite demeanour would vanish for him.

*             *             *             *           

Kylo tried to have better control over his thoughts. He was being torn apart lately, it used to be so easy for him to mindlessly 'take care' of a guy that Snoke wanted dead and get the money - he would use who he needed and get exactly what he wanted, in more ways than one. But now... It was different somehow. It would be easy to get to that girl but it's so wrong she's still at high school! That would have to stay PG - he had no idea how to use a girl without using _that way_ of getting to her. There was next to no way that he was going to even find where Snap Wexley is unless he found him through that letter he gave Chewie.

It would have been stupid to show his face to Chewie or his father for obvious reasons, and he knows for a fact that they never even check surveillance. So it was a simple start, write a letter for Wexley on business at his last known place of work - he did this through, _what was that high schooler's name?_ Anyway through her, and now he just had to wait. But Kylo was never idle. He decided to go the extra mile. _Time to see if that high schooler knows anything about Wexley._ Kylo timed it each time so that it was just her at the repair shop and before getting there, he busted the latch of the hood of his beautiful car - it didn't matter, he had money to burn so even if she cocked up the fix he would get it done.

And so he strut his way to the repair shop, smoothing out his light teal turtle neck sweater - designer, of course - sunglasses on, ready to flirt the pants off of that girl, _wait not literally that far_. Ugh this was already bringing obstacles that he didn't seem to have since his first few runs in this business. But it turned out to be harder, because when he'd gotten to the repair shop, the girl didn't look best pleased to see him - he didn't usually get that effect when they seemed so spritely about him off the cuff like she did.

"You need to leave, Matt."

 _And thanking you for the not-so-friendly reminder of my name to you,_ he thought impishly. But on the outside as well as in, he was remotely shocked,

"Wh - what?!"

He stuttered belligerently. She turned to him from behind some car hood and jabbed the spanner at him in accusation, taking several steps forward towards him,

"Your the one who's been in that Jag that's been practically stalking this place for days! Give me one - actually, give me  _several_ good reasons why I shouldn't call the police on you right away you shady, no good -"

 _Dramatic much?_ He thought but then realised how deep the shit he would be in if she did call the cops on him, he composed himself enough to feign innocence and interrupt,

"The latch on my hood is busted... And I had to make sure this was the right place for the business I was here for."

He gave a shrug of his shoulders as he curved his lips into a crooked smile which normally made them drool but this girl was having none of it. Whilst Rey had admittedly liked the look of the man it vanished as quickly as it came by at the reality of him. She sniffed him out to be a crook of some kind - that much had now become obvious to her if nothing else. Before she blurted out that she didn't believe him, she spared him an askance glance before peeking behind his shoulder - being unable to peek over it with him being so tall - and looked to his car before meeting his sunglasses again.

"A latch repair is pretty simple but I still don't get why you brought that car _here_."

She sized him up as she crossed her arms, getting more car grease on her old grey vest. Kylo smirked,

"What if I came back to finish our conversation?"

To his surprise, she didn't laugh sweetly as before, she scoffed,

"Then you're an even bigger fake than I'd anticipated."

 _Shit, this really was an off day._ How in the hell did a naive little high schooler see through his most efficient means of work? Some girl who was once involved in their business compared him to James Bond. _Maybe the Anti-Bond_ , Kylo decided. Unless, of course, she was no where near as naive as he'd thought or even hoped. _Think of how to recover, Kylo! Think!_ He sighed almost dramatically with a wave of his hands,

"Can't a guy just get his car fixed in this place?"

And she frowned at him and flicked her chin towards his car for him to go and get it. As he brought it over the air was awkwardly silent. She refused to even spare him a glance as she begun to take a look at his car, until she spoke when she needed to,

"The latch looks like it was busted in... Are you sure no one tried to get into the hood of your car for parts or something?"

She asked dubiously and he had to refrain from quirking his brows - she was smarter than the other car repairers that barely noticed the latch being purposefully busted. To lighten the tension he was starting to feel, he quipped,

"Why? Have _you_ done that before, Scavenger?"

He purred his most seductive murmur, internally grateful that he came up with a nickname as he'd forgotten her real one. This didn't even seem to stir anything in her big hazel eyes. Secretly, deep down, Rey found it the sexiest thing she'd ever come across but this guy was just making the hairs rise on her neck for the wrong reasons so she chided herself for the dark thoughts and brushed them aside vehemently.

"No!"

He noticed she seemed to take it a little more personally than intended... And he wondered briefly why that was. Until he walked right into deep shit again. The evening soon grew later and neither had really realised the time, as she looked like she wanted to retort but caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall,

"Shit! Why am I always late nowadays!"

She cussed under her breath as she started packing up shop. Kylo eyed the clock and had realised he'd been there nearly three and half hours. He rolled his eyes, _Jesus Christ, Kylo._ It wasn't until he'd stepped out the shop moments before the Scavenger when he'd seen The Rebels - a rather unimaginative name for their gang Kylo thought but then The First Order wasn't exactly spectacular. The Rebels were a rival gang, but even without knowing Kylo's face, they were here to cause trouble. And they were eyeing the two up from under their hoods and masks of their own.

"Ok time to go home, Scavenger."

It sounded like a quip yet he was being dead serious. He reached for her hand to take her to her car and she, clearly not seeing the danger, ripped her hand from his and spat,

"My. Name. Is. _Rey_! And _don't_ take my hand!"

He rolled his eyes but tried to shoo her off to her car before they made a scene, giving The Rebels a reason to come over. Which sadly, appeared to be the case anyway...

"Would you stop that?! I'm not a child! I do not need to be shown how to get to my car!"

If there was one thing Rey hated, it was being patronised and she felt he was doing just that. Until she'd heard a whistle from a man nearby, and saw the way Matt's eyes closed in defeat, stopping them dead in their tracks.

"What's going on here?"

The one up front asked in a teasing manner, and they all variously contributed during which Rey's blood turned cold.

"Tekka, what's going on here?"

"I don't know, what's going on here, Greedo?"

" _Who_ wants to know?"

" _Kanata_ wants to know!"

They had all but circled them to the nearby wall under the lamplit night and Kylo automatically adopted a protective stance over Rey, gently guiding her behind his shoulder as they threatened to creep in closer. After they had their fun with whatever the hell that was, they stopped ensuing them and held their positions around them as who Rey assumed was 'Kanata' began talking again,

"What's going on, is that this... _fine_ specimen -"

Kylo didn't like the way he bit his lip as he tried to look the girl up and down, and it gave Rey shivers up her spine.

"Doesn't want him to hold her hand."

Kanata sneered with a smile at Kylo, and he in turn met his smug grin with his darkest glare,

"You should leave before your little friends drop like flies."

This earnt him a series of whoops, hoots and whistles from the gang and a hiss from Rey,

"What are you doing you idiot?!"

But Kylo knew exactly what he was doing. He always came prepared. He hushed back,

"Just trust me."

She scoffed and he rolled his eyes before focusing his attention back on the gang, who'd drawn too close for comfort.

"Who the fuck are you to say that to me?!"

Kanata fished a knife from a pocket and flashed it in front of him to Kylo. Rey tried not to wince, but found it difficult when she had nothing to defend herself with apart from Matt who was also defenceless... Or so she'd thought. As suddenly Matt stood a little taller and pulled out what Rey thought was... a lighter? - but whatever it was, the gang immediately shrunk back,

"Where the fuck did you get that?!"

"That's for me to know and you to cry about when I decide to use it."

He said darkly, and Rey didn't realise just how scary this con-man she'd come to meet this week could be - and yet she'd never felt safer. Rey was more than competent in how to defend herself from her upbringing... But maybe when it came to a group of sadistic gangsta's it could be a different story, one she wasn't willing to find out. Kanata's eyes lit with recognition,

"You're not a Bantha...?"

Another poorly named gang, Kylo was almost insulted but then this was often their 'weapon' of choice and he would rather he be wrong about him. Kylo threatened them with it once again his mouth tauntingly agape as he held it up to them and they scurried back a few steps.

"If you don't leave right now, I'll do it, and you can kiss your asses goodbye. Kiss each other's goodbye for all I care - just go."

He lay on thickly for them to get the point, and suddenly one pulled out a gun to the two,

"Quit it! I don't fucking believe this guy, Kanata! He's _not_ a Bantha!"

Rey gripped the back of Matt's sweater tightly when the one with the gun pulled it up towards them and Kylo grit his teeth.

"Don't be stupid, man! You _know_ what that is! Let's bounce."

Kanata tugged roughly at his jacket sides and pointed at Kylo,

"This ain't over!"

Kylo stood his ground, maintaining his stance across Rey's tiny frame until well after they'd finally left. He finally turned around to see her taking the situation surprisingly well...

"You alright?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice. Yes, she had become accustomed to such occurrences but never had she been under a threat of that magnitude. Whilst she was grateful Matt had more or less just saved their arses, she was astounded,

"What the hell _was_ that, Matt?! I mean where did that come from?!"

Kylo shifted uncomfortably for a second, confused at the anger in her tone when he had just saved her! He frowned,

"What?! - argh never mind. It doesn't matter, what does is that your safe now. Where's your car?"

She almost growled at him, _why does he keep dodging my questions?!_ And to think for a foolish moment she actually found the enigma of him attractive. She thought better than to spit foul words to him to maintain her maturity and stormed off in the direction of her car. She half expected him to leave and yet he followed after her, keeping astride with her easily with his freakishly long legs.

" _Why_ are you following me? The thugs are gone now, your car's fixed."

She spun around to him, she needed to get home to her grandfather and fast. His carer would have gone home by now. Kylo flit his eyes up and down her stance, sizing her up again as if it could help clear up some things he just didn't get about her. He was usually a very good people reader - immense perk for his job, but he found her very difficult to read. _Women_ , he rolled his eyes.

"Can't I at least walk you to your car? It's not safe around these parts."

He should know. And yet so did she. She gave a sardonic snort,

"I know, I can handle myself."

He quirked a brow, maybe she could but she had no idea what The Rebels were capable of, they had as many eyes as The First Order around these parts - they would find her in a heartbeat if they wanted to, with the help of the 'weapon' he'd flashed earlier...

"Maybe, but I'm still coming with you to your car."

She sighed, obviously he was going to follow her anyway whether she said to or not. What Kylo couldn't fathom was as to why he actually even cared. It wouldn't be the first time he left a woman defenceless around gangs if it wasn't his problem, more often than not they wanted her eliminated themselves - _for money, hopefully._ It wasn't his problem, or job. _So why was this any different?_ He pondered on whether it was her innocence and a long forgotten compassion of his. But she wasn't innocent, in that sense anyway, he could see that she had looked danger in the eyes before maybe even death. And he blamed his inexplicable curiosity of her on that fact. A foolish part of him wanting to know what it was she might have seen in the time she'd lived.


	2. Puzzle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the update!! Hope you guys enjoy!! :)
> 
> PS: obviously 'Matt' is Kylo/Ben to Rey as his code name for the Wexley 'elimination' - I couldnt resist the minor 'Matt the Radar Technician' cameo XD, in which will always and forever be canon to me!! :'D

"What?!"

Finn almost spat out his granola bar as Poe hissed to Rey across the canteen table at lunch. Rey was already pretty tired, having a long morning from working at dawn and having somewhat of an evening... Rey was in no mood for any more drama - she'd had enough for her liking. She made a guttural sound in her annoyance,

"Try not to shout Poe, ok? I don't need an inquest for Christ's sake."

She didn't regret telling her two best friends of the events of last night, they seemingly shared everything... Almost everything. Matt's dark eyes flit into her mind for a fleeting moment and she sighed. She hadn't told them what she thought of him, how she can see his darkness like a film over his very presence - a skill she acquired a long, long time ago - and how she suspected him greatly, his charm a very careful puzzle of a façade.

She rolled her eyes when they asked her if he was 'so hot she melted' and she had to remind them of her rule of no relationships until college. She needed the grades to get a scholarship - not that she should find it too difficult, somewhat having a knack for Astro-Physics in particular. The S.A.T's along with prom and graduation were growing ever closer so now more than ever she had to work. Hard. But that didn't seem to stop the couple in front of her from asking about Matt and if he was hot - prompting them to look a little sour when they realised their counterpart had asked that. Poe responded candidly,

"If it wasn't you telling us this I would have thought you were making it up."

Oh that's something else too, Rey has a _big_ thing about trust. She supposed it stemmed from certain occurrences from her youth... Her parents premature passing the start of it to be precise... Rey dipped her head sadly for a moment in thought temporarily until snapping out of it, remembering where she was and what she was talking about.

"Look, _yes_ it's true and _yes_ it _was_ scary but it's over now and I've told Chewie and Han both about suspicious behaviour around the neighbourhood and they're improving surveillance so we shouldn't get any more trouble from them."

They both stared at her, mouths agape for a solid twenty seconds,

"You call almost being attacked by a _gang_ merely 'suspicious behaviour' ?!"

Finn cried, _at least he's not as loud as Poe_ , Rey thought. She sighed and stated,

"It was fine! I was fine!"

"I'm just grateful this Matt guy was there, oh my God."

Poe placed a hand over his chest as he sat back, relaxing some. This comment whilst outwardly bothered Rey, deep down she was eternally grateful that Matt was there with her then. But only for that, she doesn't want to owe him anything. Yet here she is, owing him her life. There was nothing she hated more. And it proved to be a _severely_ inconvenient feat - as Matt returned to the repair shop when she was left to it alone after hours that day. Rey was adamant that she'd be more than happy to stay to finish the car she found at the 'junk yard' all those weeks ago. Seeing as she couldn't really afford a car as means of travel, Han said she could fix this one here for free. Han was something of a father to her, Chewie an Uncle. They meant everything to her. She guessed that this was why they were so uneasy to let her be here alone, especially after hours, due to the events of last night.

"Are you sure, kid?"

Han's eyes protruded dark circles, and yet he was fervent he would be more than alright with staying behind with Rey. But how could she do that? She smiled a watery grin,

"I'll be alright, Han. Really, I will."

She urged through her own tired eyes. She desired the solitude after Poe and Finn fussing over her all day, making sure she would be OK and wouldn't be subject to any further form of threat. But that was bound to be the case sooner or later... She rolled her body beneath the car for her head to divulge from underneath to see the ceiling lights. A certain clanking noise had prompted her to do so and she failed to source the noise.

"Who's there?"

She heard some shuffling and before she could raise her voice, she heard a chuckle,

"Ah, just the person I was looking for."

She sighed as she closed her eyes, trying to refrain from holding the bridge of her nose at the sound of the voice. _His_ voice.

"Matt."

She stated robotically as she slid under the car again. She heard his delicate steps as he stood right beside the car. She distantly wondered why just how careful and precise they were, as if it were a talent him being such a looming presence.

"Now what are you still doing working at almost eight o'clock, Scavenger?"

She internally growled, not having the energy to bother correcting him again.

"What do you want, Matt?"

She asked, beginning to sound impatient. She could hear the impish grin in his voice,

"Came to make sure you were alright."

 _Bullshit_ , she thought.

"Oh really? That's thoughtful, thank you, Matt!"

She said with a feigned spritely attitude, thickly layered with sarcasm. He only laughed which made her roll her eyes. After a quiet moment, his voice lowered to sound... Normal somehow.

"So, are you?"

She tensed.

"Yes."

The air was quiet for another long moment.

"When was the last time you ate?"

She thought for a long moment, stopping what she was doing by lowering her arms by her sides as she thought. She ate half an apple this morning for Grandad's benefit, him being so worried about her but she didn't even eat lunch... She had to get away from being under Finn and Poe's care. Her silence was all he needed.

"That's what I thought. I bet you haven't even fully recovered from the shock."

She thought her eyes would pop out of their sockets she rolled them around him so much. She ignored him and continued with her work.

"Did you need something?"

Kylo had to admit, he found her sharp tongue amusing and wondered how she'd so actively despised him so quickly. Her polite demeanour having completely vanished in place of this.

"Not what I _need_ really, but now that I'm here - you should eat."

She rolled from under the car to face him, her nose scrunched,

"What?"

He shrugged in such an over exaggerated manner it was comical - though Rey was in no laughing mood. _Jesus_ \- if she thought he was a tower whilst standing up...

"Food probably."

"You're insufferable."

She muttered, pushing herself back under the car. She didn't have to peek at him to know he was most likely smirking his face off.

"I'm serious, Rey."

He said in an indefinitely graver tone. _But was it even sincere?_ She just put more effort into the wrench she begun using - internally thanking herself for dragging the tool bag under the car with her so she didn't have to emerge from under it. Suddenly she heard more shuffling and scuffing but chose to ignore it. Until he was on the floor. He began to shift his head so it was next to hers, his knees bent to the ceiling as the narrow walkway wasn't enough for him to do otherwise.

"What are you doing? You can't be under here!"

Rey tried to be impartial to the fact that he was so close... She glared at his stupid grin.

"Well strictly, I'm not fully under the car, so it's invalid."

She growled and pushed herself vehemently to the opposite side of the car to emerge out from under. As he slowly rose he saw she was starting to put tools away. Kylo couldn't help but study her as she did so. If there was one way to get information from an associate, it was at a social event - thus came the idea to get food with her and 'socialise'.

"Oh common! It's only food, think of it as a token of appreciation."

She narrowed her eyes at him and his nonchalance before continuing to place the tools away and stuff her few belongings in her bag.

"I don't go to dinner with strangers."

She said robotically, trying to hide the tainted sadness with the truth of that sentence. He didn't seem to notice.

"What about... Acquaintances who've saved your life?"

Only then did she meet his curious gaze. It seemed he wasn't going to leave her alone until she said yes. And she couldn't deny her need to know of certain aspects of the night prior... Like that lighter looking weapon... She weighed up her choice for a painfully stretched minuet until she huffed,

"Well, if you're going to buy because my purse is at home -"

His eyes narrowed and flit to her bag,

"It's right there...?"

"No not my _bag_ my - ugh never mind."

She began as she brushed passed him to kill the lights, he seemed to recover from his confusion enough to quip,

"So is that a yes to food?"

She shrugged,

"Girl's gotta eat."

He tried to suppress a laugh as they walked out of the auto shop.  
_______________________________

Leia handed her colleague her de-caff as she began to sit herself at the Sheriff department food court. Maz smiled weakly in return as she wrapped her tiny hands around the polystyrene cup. Maz wrapped her chocolate ringlets out of the way of her tired face and watched the coffee between her tanned topaz hands. Maz had had somewhat of a rough couple of months, more or less experiencing the same scenario as Leia.

"Thank you, Sheriff."

Maz croaked. Leia reached out to one of her hands and held it,

"Maz, please, just Leia."

A short moment passed before she continued,

"Now tell me, what troubles you?"

Maz met her eyes in melancholy,

"It's... It's my son... He still won't return my call..."

Maz too had a son that had cut all ties with her and the father... How Chewie was even more understanding of Leia and Han's torment over Ben... What was worse was that their son was around five years Ben's junior... And both women knew that Maz's son had been involved in gang activity. This kind of information of their child can bring a person to their breaking point.

"Maz, I promise, we will do everything we can to find your son."

Their mahogany eyes locked for a long moment, and Maz returned Leia's fervour,

"And I will do what I can in the search for yours."

After they'd shared a brief nostalgic silence, Leia's intern, Poe came bursting through the doors to the food court area to find her and he fumbled,

"Sheriff! We've received intelligence of the two gangs that have been active around the state."

Leia almost leapt from her chair - the murder cases from gang activity have been the biggest cases on their hands to date, them also being seemingly regular. The elusive characters managed to slip from their fingers each time a case file had opened. But they were growing ever closer to divulging them for who they are. And now, the Sheriff was fortunate enough to have obtained more information to work with.  
________________________________

"Rey? Is that you darling girl?"

Her grandfather lilted weakly as she finally dropped the keys and shook off her jacket from having an extended absence.

"Yes it's just me, grandad, no need to worry. Just in time for your nightly prescription too."

The nightly was just an orally taken pill around half an hour after his supper - which his carer would have done for him, if they'd had more money to keep her that long. It took all they had combined for him to have one, _if only we lived in England again,_ she thought wistfully _, he could have one for free._ Rey really did try to work hard for her grandad and herself to live more comfortably, but it was still an arduous daily task - worth every minuet for him to be able to stay with her and at home where he is happy. He was all she had left, and she wasnt even sure for how much longer she would have him for... She propped him up more comfortably on his favourite chair in their little living area as she explained where she was.

"Oh you went out with friends? That sounds lovely my dear."

He smiled sweetly and Rey couldn't suppress hers, even though he couldn't be more wrong.

"No, I was offered to get food with... a client."

It took her a moment to correctly categorise who Matt was, he seemed to be unprofessional with her so it was as if he didn't want to be just a client, but a friend. Rey doesn't make friends with dangerous, fluid liars. Alarm bells rung in her head that that was _exactly_ what he was somehow. Even her grandad seemed to get the wrong idea,

"Ooh a client hmm? What's their name?"

"Matt."

She said quirking a brow as he hummed thoughtfully,

"Was he a handsome lad? He better be good enough for my Rey."

Rey couldn't help but smile at her grandad with his dopily sweet expression and his care for her. _Wrong again_ , she thought amused, _at least about him being good..._

"The only man I need in my life is you!"

She almost laughed, now taking a seat across from him, finally being able to sit down after an exhausting day... The air was quiet a moment as her grandad 'Old Ben Kenobi' waited for her to speak. She smiled at the little nickname her bosses had for him, claimed they'd worked with him before years ago. Before he could ask more about Matt, she begun,

"Do you remember working with my bosses at all? Han and Chewie?"

His eyes crinkled with his smile,

"Oh, i remember... It wasn't very safe work... From a certain point of view."

Rey would have laughed if she hadn't suspected that he was being very vague, as if not wanting to talk about her question to him either. And suddenly she was burning with curiosity,

"What do you mean?"

His smile faded a little bit and he peered up at her before sighing quietly,

"You wouldn't like it if I told you."

She frowned deeply, he knew that Rey hated it when people would keep things from her... Especially family. So he began with a sigh,

"You're aware of your bosses' smuggling days, yes?"

She nodded as his voice lowered an octave, still gently pressing on,

"There was a grave time, back when your parents were alive too... And I was needed along with Han's now brother-in-law too -"

Before he could go on he was interrupted by his incessant coughing - he grabbed for his handkerchief and Rey rushed over to him to see to it that he was alright. He waved her off good-naturedly and after, holding her hand in both of his for a moment. Before he could speak there was a knock at the door and brightly coloured lights danced across their little window in the door.

"Who could that be?"

He asked curiously and lighthearted to the point it actually made Rey smile for a second before adopting back her askance demeanour as she answered the door. It was the Sheriff, Han Solo's wife. Rey blurted,

"What's happened?"

 _No point asking if everything's alright_ \- as her grandfather most likely would have out of kindness - _because it clearly isn't alright If the Police are here_ , she thought sardonically. Leia looked to Rey sternly,

"I'm sorry Rey, but the auto shop has been broken into and there are witnesses with all kinds of injuries and pieces of information that haven't begun to fit together - so I'm afraid you can't go back to work for a couple of days at the least."

Her hand flew to her chest, Leia knew the severity of this news was only made worse by the fact that they both knew just how much Rey needs that money too.

"If there is anything that I can help with please let me know."

She said earnestly, earning a nod from Leia.  
__________________________________

"Wait - so you went to a dinner date with Mr.Hero?! How did it go!"

Finn and Poe waited for her to answer with bright smiles and it was all she could do not to hit something,

"No!"

She begun sharply,

"Why do people keep _thinking_ that?! I'm still in _high school_ for fuck sake and he's an adult! And that wasn't even the important thing about last night! Are we forgetting that I'm now out of a job for at least a few days?!"

She threw her head in her hands for a moment of defeat,

"What do I _do_?! I can't find another job that I'd have to scrap in a few days or so but I can't just sit around and do nothing when I need the money for grandad!"

They thought for a moment and Finn said,

"We would come over to help when we can."

With an enthusiastic nod from each. Rey's heart swelled and she felt guilty for yelling, they were only thinking of her with what they said... And apparently so was she.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry guys. And you shouldn't have to do that, it's not your problem."

She shook her head vehemently and Poe grabbed her hand and said,

"But it's _your_ problem, so now it's ours too - we wanna help you."

She'd forgotten how there _are_ still somehow people out there that are there for you and that not everyone wants to use you but love you instead. She held back a tear of joy at the thought, she'd missed that feeling of trust, faith in someone. Poe continued as she nodded a small nod, not trusting her voice,

"Let me talk to Leia, there's gotta be something we can do job wise - there's always openings... I know mine's an internship but I'll find out what there is."

"Thank you."

She said quietly as they both held a hand of hers and she started laughing. Shortly after, she'd been given a job with Leia working the coffee machine in the food court mainly but other little errands too which really helped out a lot, and when school ended a few days later, she was on her way to it when there was a road closure her usual route - all taped up due to wet cement... She would have to go the other way. She started walking on the opposite avenue and went around to pass Han and Chewie's repair shop and saw the dilapidation was at least being tended to but it was still there. Suddenly she was staring into the headlights of a shiny black Jag and she sighed, _great, something else I wanted to avoid seeing_. He got out the car and she immediately drew nearer to the looming form and blurted,

" _What is it?_ What is it that you _want_ , Matt?!"

He tried to suppress his grin, really. But she was just so funny when she was irate, and he kinda liked how she wasn't scared of him and didn't seem to take any of his shit. She'd unthinkingly given him the information of Wexley's approximate whereabouts last night and where some information might lie... In the Auto Shop. He couldn't place why, only merely blamed it on the fact that you should always clear up your tracks - but he wanted to help make it a little better. Especially upon learning she was now out of the job that she clearly needed, also what seemed to be made apparent last night. But instead of saying he wanted to help, he used something she didn't even realise he would remember,

"Came to wish you a happy birthday."

As soon as the surprise melted off of her face, she was angry again but chose not to say anything. She almost shouldered past him to keep going,

"Where are you going?"

He asked, a smile in his voice,

"I'll be late for work. And yes, I have another job for now."

He kept astride with her easily once again and he asked more seriously,

"Why are you so angry with me? Don't you even wanna thank me for wishing you a happy birthday?"

Well not that seriously, it was half serious, the first half was serious. She stopped dead in her tracks and he soon followed, staring down into her eyes for a long moment until she answered with a huff,

"Because I just _know_ your putting on some kind of act! And I don't like it! I would rather you leave me be completely if you're going to keep it up!"

The air was increasingly tense and their eyes were locked for a painful minute until she ripped away with,

"I can't afford to be late."

And she whisked away, leaving him standing there dumbfounded.

 

 

 


	3. Ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS IM SO SORRY ITS SUCH A LATE UPDATE!! But to make up for it, I plan to post the next chapter within the next few days!
> 
> This is where the violence starts kicking in, so BE WARNED amigos.
> 
> The song I have in this chapter wasn't released in 2011 (the year in which this fic is currently set for now) but I loved it so much and it made me think of Reylo <3
> 
> This work isn't beta read so please excuse mistakes but I hope it's at least half decent enough! Enjoy! :)
> 
> Kudos, comments and bookmarks are all greatly appreciated!

"I really hate you."

Rey growled with the discovery of what Kylo had done. He smiled with a smug grin,

"Like you said, Sweetheart - you don't even know me. How can you hate someone you don't even really know?"

He almost taunted to her, she decided with a casual and sarcastic shrug,

"Well I wasn't exactly pen pals with Hitler but I seriously hate him too."

Kylo guffawed,

"Oh common! You like me better than Hitler, right?"

She just stared at him, unwilling to give him any satisfaction from the answer...

  
**12 hours earlier...**

Snoke sat ominously still in his raised chair amongst members of The First Order on one side of the sleek, vacuous room. His smirk was half hidden by his grey mask of torn flesh that could only be seen if caught by the static white light, flickering from the ceiling, as he watched the three struggle before him. Three members of The Rebels were gagged and cuffed to their chairs - nothing less than state of the art from The First Order, as it can only be all too easy to escape being tied to a chair - that was one of Snoke's primary initiations into The First Order. You would have to be adept enough to free yourself from having your hands tied behind your back with nothing but whatever may be placed in the room with you in aid.

The Rebels afore his feet were straining, writhing torturously. One of the members of The Rebels was a young, Vietnamese woman who was struggling against the gag. Amused, Snoke motioned his index finger toward her, prompting Hux to remove it. Hux was temporarily promoted in place of Kylo Ren until he returns from his elimination with a full report of success. Hux removed the gag from the girl and she gasped for breath before panting,

"We had a deal!"

Almost beseeching. Snoke smiled from under the mask that chilled a thousand men before emanating a guttural tone of voice,

"And now the deal has been terminated."

And he clicked his fingers. One short, sharp snap of his fingers. And the girl's heart stopped as she sharply inhaled. Hux gripped her throat as Phasma uncuffed her from the chair, pulling back one of her arms and twisting it behind and began crushing her fingers as Hux raised a fist to deliver the first blow...  
________________________________________________

Rey had a near heart attack as she flew out of her front door to leave for school, hand flying to her chest,

"JESUS CHRIST!"

"No, just us,"

Finn smiled,

"Uncanny resemblance, though."

Poe flourished with a dashing grin. Outwardly, Rey temporarily glared with disapproval, but it was undeniably sweet. Since her and Matt being threatened by the gang and the repair shop being broken into, the boys were always by her side. And quite literally, Rey was rarely alone now. And yet at times she still felt that void creep up on her, her parents' eyes flashing in mind... She shoved the thoughts away as she flit her gaze to Finn's hands,

"What's that?"

"For you."

He said handing her the little tupperware box as they began their walk to school, it was a tupperware with a lunch in.

"You didn't have do to do that, again."

She half reprimanded but smiled some. She still hasn't gotten to go to work at the repair shop, ironically the place needed repairing still. And so she was even starting to sacrifice lunch money more and more until she just skipped meals altogether - until her best friends figured it out.

"Yes I did."

"My turn tomorrow."

Poe smirked and Rey jested,

"Who needs parents when I have you guys."

The boys chuckled with her at that. Finn started,

"That reminds me, Rey, Poe's been asked to go on a ride along and - and... Wait, what was it again?"

"And I need cover, and so I wanted to ask you."

Rey was stunned a moment,

"I can't do one too late, I've had to cut back on the hours from my Grandad's carer -"

"I'll look after him."

Finn smiled and Rey looked into his eyes with fervency. If there was one person she could trust with her grandad, it was Finn. Not only did she trust him now, having known him nearly ten years, but Finn practically grew up amongst elders. He went from orphanage to orphanage with the old retirement home being next door until being in the foster system and finally being adopted - only for his adoptive parents to pass away. But he still had his adoptive Nan, whom he visits and cares for often at the home. She being marginally older than Rey's grandfather.

"Thank you."

She smiled with the utmost gratitude as Finn held her hand a moment with a smile.

"And you'll get paid, It's paperwork tonight and Leia always pays me."

Poe added. As they continued their trek to the high school, Rey couldn't seem to stop herself for keeping her eyes peeled for that black Jag, or more accurately, the driver of it...  
______________________________________________

Click. Another photo. Leia fixed her gaze on the terrible scene. The scene that was much like a photo in itself. Still. Like a vivid, distorted memory. A nightmare that will never cease to exist in the deepest corner of the mind. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the three bodies that lie within a lake of blood surrounding them in the once pristine room.

"Sherif, we have an identification on the female."

Deputy Ackbar claimed gravely from behind her as more photographic evidence was taken. Click. Leia finally managed to turn her body toward her deputy and nodded in prompt. He furthered,

"Her name was Paige Tico, and we have sufficient evidence in believing these people were members of one of the gangs in the area."

Leia nodded solemnly, a life is a life after all.

"I want this mess cleaned up as soon as you can, and we need to find these criminals and shut them down."

She said in an unusually steely voice before whisking away to start her report, until she received a phone call, fishing her mobile from her coat pocket she answered,

"Sherif Solo-Organa speaking."

Her stiff demeanour melted away as she heard a very welcoming voice on the other line,

"You still on shift, sweetheart?"

Her husband didn't seemed all too surprised, she always worked hard. Leia smiled,

"Yea, another gang attack... We were so close, the victims haven't been long dead."

She suddenly lowered her voice and stepped further away,

"They're getting worse, Han. These killings... It's like -"

She could hardly bring herself to say it.

"It's like it's thirty years ago all over again..."

Thinking back to when her husband was a smuggler and her brother fought beside her instead of vanishing off of the face of the Earth... Han sighed on the other side of the line,

"I know, Leia. I know."

There was a moment of silence before another deputy of hers, Deputy Holdo gestured her over to check the case file's facts.

"Han, I better go, I'll call you in an hour."

"Ok, sweetheart."

And they hung up. Han rubbed his forehead with the back of his palm with another sigh before flicking his old mobile to the work table amongst all the tools. The repair shop still being in tatters so he was currently working from their garage at home where he could. Unfortunately he's not needed Rey's assistance, he knew how much she needed that money, but at least Leia fixed her up with something for now. As he swiftly approached another, unopened rusted tool box after wiping his greased hands on his blue overalls, he'd discovered a photograph upon wrenching it open that constricted his throat...

Kylo Ren had come across the very same photograph little did anyone know, when he was amongst Snap Wexley's possessions where the man now worked. Wexley's office was far neater than Kylo had ever anticipated due to his prior work being in the repair shop with his father, uncle and Chewie. In fact, the very photograph he'd plucked from the glass table with his slender fingers was of those very people. And himself. He must have been about eight - almost twenty years ago now. Almost instinctively, Kylo traced his fingertips over his raven like mask and thought about what it was like to be _Ben_.

He raised his head to the rest of the room and in an impulsive thought he asked himself what he was doing. But that thought was vehemently wiped from his mind - particularly when a man in a monkey mask burst through the door. It wasn't Snap Wexley. Kylo straightened his frame and suit as the slender, masked man held up a gun,

"Who the fuck are you?!"

Kylo nearly smiled, he's _new_.

"Let me guess, you're going to try to tell me that this is 'your territory' - whomever you belong to."

It was like child's play for Kylo at reading people and who they are, where they're from. The way this _boy_ held the gun and the almost rabbit look in his eyes as he panted shallow breaths showed him that he was a part of a gang yes but newly recruited - and this must have been his first job, a Scouting one at that.

"It is!"

Was all he'd managed to say, well shout.

"Don't raise you're voice moron, or we'll get caught in here."

Kylo sneered as he began rummaging again quietly, neatly as though nothing had been misplaced, touched or removed - and of course, with gloves on. It certainly shut the guy up, too. Kylo needed to learn everything he could about Wexley and his new life in order to Eliminate him with minimum suspicion of his 'untimely death'. That was what also made Kylo so good at what he did and how he practically waltzed to the top of The First Order. He had an uncanny ability to Eliminate without suspicion. When it didn't call for desperate measures at least. Snoke took him in, and 'nurtured his gift' as he would put it. Kylo would put the... _experiences_ differently, however... An unwelcomed sensation crawled his spine a moment at the thought. Suddenly, another much burlier and taller man walked in slowly, wearing a black eye mask - followed by a man Kylo knew he'd seen before.

And the man knew he'd seen Kylo before, mask or not. Kylo's mind flashed back to when he protected Rey from the members of The Rebels that had almost attacked them. When he was being 'Matt'...

" _You_."

The gang member who was referred to as 'Kanata' that night had claimed in an incredulous whisper to him as he stiffened. He wore a red bandana across his jaw, not much of a mask. All were flitting eyes between each other in a palpable, tension filled silence. Kylo welcomed the sensation of the blood roaring in his ears, it fuelled his adrenaline and thus his fast thinking. Four dangerous men in a room they shouldn't be, out for the blood of each other as well as the man that owns it.

"So you are a Bantha?"

Kanata asked and Kylo rolled his eyes from under his raven mask and scoffed,

"No."

Before refusing to waste any more time - and he found a file that was golden for what more was needed from this room. Of course, he didn't divulge that. He discreetly gripped at his cuff links over these pages of said file as they babbled and thus working the microscopic camera device that sent the images to Snoke as well as himself. He idly noticed that the burlier man wasn't just unnaturally still but also mute... Kanata took a step further forward,

"What are you doing here? Wexley's ours!"

Kylo frowned from under the mask and responded coolly,

"You're what? House pet?"

"Our Dealer!"

The small, skinny one with the monkey mask had blurted.

"Dealer?!"

Kylo asked, near incredulity. And the other two Rebels tore their gazes from Kylo to the boy, who flit his eyes uncomfortably. Dealers were unheard of, being wiped off the system of how gangs worked. Dealers were similar to what Snoke was to The First Order. They'd control the mechanism of the gang, bringing in money and jobs but far more flippantly than to just any one gang - it started to get messy, people claiming they were owed this and that and jobs were made to Eliminate other members said Dealer may have been acquainted with and so it was whittled down to separate gangs. One of which is now the one Kylo is party to.

Kylo Ren was stunned, and this was no common occurrence either. He couldn't imagine an old, harmless smuggling friend of his father's now being a _Dealer_. Snoke never told him that Wexley was a Dealer, and he must have known. This makes Wexley much, _much_ harder to Eliminate with discretion. Suddenly the penny dropped - _that's why I was given three weeks_ thought Kylo _. Not because I know him, but because of who he is_. And this changed everything. Snoke wouldn't want him dead because he owed money. Dealers weren't killed for that. He wanted him dead for extended power, it must be. But why? Snoke already had his grip on most of the state, surreptitiously of course. Kylo made to sweep past them, but the huge mute stopped his shoulder with his palm and Kanata began,

"You're not going anywhere until you tell us who you are and what you want with Wexley."

Kylo was also incredulous at the fact that the gang members knew Wexley's true identity, him being a Dealer. It wasn't unheard of but it was exceedingly rare, and exceedingly foolish. Kylo quite literally was baffled by this information, but that didn't mean he'd show it.  He tapped into an inner darkness as he whispered darkly,

"I'm the nightmare you won't escape, the smoke you try to catch with bare hands. I'm the one who, for your sake, you stay out of the way of."

And the burly man stood taller, but all notably stiffened at his words with just the sheer threat behind them. It was as if Kylo saw their following movements wading in water he'd moved so much faster to block them. Kanata had moved to stab Kylo in the neck, only for Kylo to spin out of the larger man's grip to twist Kanata's arm away from his neck and behind his back, crunching his fingers with a sickening crack and an answering wince elicited from Kanata and squeezing his wrist so that he'd release the serrated knife, then moving to gag him by way of fiercely jabbing Kanata's throat with his fingers like a snake.

He then ducked to avoid the first blow from the now maskless, burly man before sweeping his long leg under him with brute force, knocking the man flat on his back as Kylo pointed the knife that Kanata dropped back up from the floor as to stab the huge man in the back as he landed - leaving a bleeding out member and a winded member that was near unconscious with his newfound disability to breathe and the new boy in the monkey mask stared even more wide eyed than before and Kylo gripped his collar,

"Go ahead and tell whoever you want that I was here, and I'm coming for whoever gets in my way. I will destroy them."  
________________________________________________

Rey decided to study outside during her lunch break, as the weather was so nice and warm. The sun somehow made her feel so carefree and calm, she allowed the luscious warmth to seep through her skin and lull her into a relaxing study mind set as she sat on the audience benches around the 800m track as a variety of students utilised the space either where she was or runners on the track, even cheerleaders practising the next routine. All was perfectly, boringly normal. The only thing that seemed out of the blue was a classmate of hers, Rose Tico was found crying on the high school steps by Finn. He'd told Rey that Poe heard Leia's comm patch through to tell the department that the girl was to know of what happened to her missing sister, Paige Tico... But Rey didn't want to delve too much into the news. It was devastating and she was certain the girl she sat with in AP Physics wouldn't want the whole school gossiping about the story.

And so Rey breathed in the light air and studied quietly, in tranquility. Until Rey sensed the hairs on her skin raise up, and she stiffened. Something in the air wasn't quite right after all... She slowly, infinitesimally made to move her book from her nose as if a wild animal were square in front of her face. Blood pumping, she lowered the book - only to find nothing out of the ordinary ... A deep frown set upon her features for a stubborn moment until she delved back into her studies, nothing abnormal. Or so she'd thought. For she was being watched, by Kanata.  
_______________________________________________

Kylo was driving in a heavy rain, passing through a new route, feeling certain he was being followed by someone somehow amongst The Rebels, and to his sheer surprise he noticed the 'Scavenger' from the repair shop stalking her way down the alley with her head down getting drenched - he didn't like the amount of surprises he'd been experiencing that day, in fact he was very much in loathing of a surprise. Somehow, he didn't keep driving, it was as if instinctively he'd stopped to talk to her. He pulled over and rolled down his window, having to raise his voice over the torrential rain,

"I guess you didn't get what you bargained for when it comes to a walk under the moonlight."

She stopped in her tracks abruptly, knowing who's silky voice that belonged to. She turned,

"No, clearly not, thanks for stating the obvious."

Snarkily before turning back around to keep sloshing through the downpour that ran its icy fingers down her back as some slid under her coat.

"I thought you had a car?! The one you'd been repairing and driving?"

Kylo furthered as his car crept along apace with her walk.

"I do but I didn't need it."

Kylo smirked,

"I'd say you needed the shelter."

"I'd say you need to stop following me."

Rey retorted before Kylo feigned a gasp,

"I'm driving down a road, Scavenger, I'd never do such a thing."

Which they both knew to be a big fat lie.

"Stop lying - and stop calling me that."

She nearly muttered with a guttural sound emanating from her that she thought he wouldn't hear, but he did. He was taken aback by her perceptive nature and intrigued all the more.

"Wanna ride?"

He offered and she nearly laughed sardonically,

"No chance. I don't _ride_ with strangers."

He bit back his smile as he replied,

"Well Rey, I'm Matt Dylan - incase you forgot, and I'm a financial advisor for my own company - very boring, unlike my charming charisma. Oh, and I drive a Jag."

He gestured to his steering wheel and she stopped in her tracks in the rain, some was bouncing into his car, onto him and she tried to make out his smirk through the icy sheets of rain. _What a scoundrel,_ she thought in a huff. She bit her lip in mild deliberation, searching past the car, through the rain for answers - as she did so, she could have sworn she saw - but her thoughts were halted as he flourished with his voice of velvet,

"Now we aren't strangers, we're acquaintances that have met previously and have eaten together once upon a time, not long after I saved our asses."

And Rey bit her lip again as she eyed up the rest of the road she'd have to walk, knowing there was at least a mile more she'd trek in this rain, and her legs were just so stiff and tired... She may not trust Matt's words, but that didn't mean she wouldn't take up a ride home if she could get some questions answered somehow, maybe... If nothing else, his actions have proved her no harm as of yet... Besides, she knew some basic defence even in a car situation. She eyed him through the rain, his smirk remaining,

"Fine."

She caved and he turned to his side, half expecting her to open the door to the passenger side, only for her to sit in the back. _Of course_ he internally rolled his eyes half heartedly - but why was he giving her a lift home? He didn't need her anymore, he'd gotten what he needed for Wexley's Elimination.

"Something on your mind, Matt Dylan the financial advisor?"

Rey asked somewhat curiously, as a deep frown was set on his features for a moment before he smiled,

"I'm also a radar technician."  
_______________________________________________

Rey was only in his car for about four minuets, long enough for one track to play mindlessly in the background of what Rey assumed would be an awkward silence... But the silence was quite comfortable. She felt... _Wholesome_. She quietly recalled the lyrics of the song that played softly,

_No one knows me like the piano  
in my mother's home._

As she traced her fingertips over the lavish black leather somewhat in awe. The most expensive thing she's ever experienced and it held a surreal, dreamlike quality. And yet it was _real._

_You have showed me I have something  
Some people call a soul._

Kylo kept his eyes on the road, that was until he flit his gaze to Rey in the rear view mirror from time to time. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips at how something as simple as a nice car could take her breath away, it was undeniably endearing.

_You know I left I flew the nest  
And you know I won't be alone._

Rey glanced up, noticing the rain was thinning out and the sky was darkening. She shifted in her uncomfortably damp clothes and shrugged out of her coat that was sticking to her arms. She swept the stray wet locks of chocolate hair from her face.

 _And in my chest,_  
You know me best,  
And you know I'll be back home.

Kylo began quietly as not to disturb the air,

"There's a sweater back there if you -"

"I'm good, thanks."

She responded and he couldn't help but smirk, at least she'd be home any minuet now.

"You don't live on your own, do you?"

Kylo asked curiously but with an edge of severity with what almost happened with The Rebels that night amongst what he could see she must have been through. His encounter with The Rebels that very same day flashing through his mind like a whip.

"No. I have a grandfather."

Rey felt almost obliged to note who she lived with, mostly as a form of proof but partly because she briefly wondered if she was being too rude. Kylo nodded, unsure of what else to really say.

_No one knows me like the piano  
In my mother's home._

"Do you?"

Rey asked, innocently enough. Kylo flit his intense eyes to her through the rear view again to see her mild expression and then back to the road ahead again.

"Yes."

Rey nodded thoughtfully a moment,

"Do you like it? Living alone?"

These weren't the questions Rey had in mind to ask, but she was curious just the same. She detected he took a shorter breath and looked away -

"Yes."

He was never really alone anyway. Rey shook her head,

"I don't believe you."

And suddenly his purr and smile were back,

"Believe what you want, is you're house close?"

And Rey looked out the window to realise they'd missed the turning because she was talking to him. She rolled her eyes at herself irritably with a mild scoff.

"We missed a turning?"

Kylo asked, amused at her reaction as he made to turn around.

"It's fine, here's fine really -"

"Rey, it's _literally_ down the road, I think the car can handle a little more mileage."

They were both surprised not by his sarcasm but that he even remembered her name. When they finally arrived, she thanked him profusely and moved to get into her own car.

"Wait, what are you -?"

"I've got work any minuet, I need to get back on the road."

Rey claimed, shoving her wet coat in the back seat of her junk box of a car that she was oddly, perfectly contented with.

"Without seeing your grandfather?"

He asked and she shot him a look,

"When was the last time you saw your family?"

Quite idly - little did she know... The comment and realisation cut a little deeper than Kylo would have liked but she continued,

"Besides, his carer's still there -"

"I thought you were running low on funds?"

Kylo cocked his head and Rey turned her body to him in a mild huff,

"What does that matter to you either way? You ask so many questions!"

He was silent a moment, slightly taken aback but utterly amused and he finally said,

"Don't you at least want to change out of the wet clothes?"

And she turned slowly with an exasperated expression but sighed, he was right really.

"Don't you want to go home?"

She asked with an edge of seriousness until she locked her car and walked to the door to her house, balancing on the balls of her feet a moment before turning around with an almost resigned expression,

"Thanks for the ride, Matt."

And walked through. It was after that moment did he notice it. The flit of the trees beside the little, low lying building. Too large to be a disturbance from a bird, or even a stray animal - and he saw near glowing eyes. It was unquestionably a person. Lurking in the bushes outside Rey's house. He leapt out of the car unthinkingly and made haste to the trees just off of her property. There was an eerily quiet moment in the bushes before he saw the boy try to whisk away - It was the weedier looking boy from earlier today in Wexley's office, still in the monkey mask. Kylo gripped his shoulder and spun him around to hold him by the collar again and removed the boy's mask so that he could see his face as clearly as the boy saw Kylo. He'd never seen a more frigid look of fear - he couldn't be much older than Rey - and he spat,

"Why are you here? Have you followed me all day?"

The boy almost shook in his grip,

"No,"

The boy was smiling, almost triumphantly.

"Then why -"

And then Kylo understood. If they weren't following him... They were following Rey.

"What's it to do with the girl?"

He emanated a guttural growl and the boy merely smiled until Kylo smacked him square in the jaw, and the boy's lip began to bleed, pouring crimson down his chin as his ears rang. Kylo threatened to do it again,

"Are your gang planning another attack on her?"

He asked, fist in the air, eyes alight almost with near madness. The boy smirked some, and Kylo read his eyes to believe that their gang have already planned everything about this possible attack and have stalked her all day for - _for what?_ And he realised something. Firstly he whipped his knife from his pocket and held it to the boy's throat,

"Tell no one, and I'll spare you're life."

The boy's fear returned to his eyes and he nodded quickly. Kylo stabbed a specific point of his torso non-fatally - but enough to send a very clear message.

" _Never_ come here again."

And he waited for the bleeding boy to flee before he surreptitiously emerged from the bushes and trees and walked the little way back to Rey's house, having wiped the blood from his hands on a cloth of his that he kept in an inside pocket to his silk lined jacket, and he noticed with fortune that her car was still there. He darted his eyes around before swiftly sabotaging a tyre with his knife, seeing that they were on their way out either way, and placing it firmly back in his pocket under his jacket. He was moments from being back in his car to drive away when he heard a voice call from the door,

"Excuse me, are you Matt Dylan?"

Kylo turned to see an old man in a wheelchair by the front door to Rey's house and a steely Rey beside him. Kylo turned and smiled,

"Yes, Sir."

The old man smiled a crinkly smile, _hardly able to see me no doubt_ Kylo thought.

"Well, thank you for bringing home my Rey. Good evening."

He stated as he wheeled back inside and Kylo smirked some before moving to turn away. As Rey came outside to her car she gasped. Kylo had to stop Rey from going to work - she worked with the police now, no he didn't know exactly what she did but that was exactly where The Rebels gang would mess with the most. Rey looked to Kylo,

"Did you see what happened to my car?"

He shrugged and she frowned deeply,

"No... _You_?"

He merely looked at her, a smirk tugging at his lips and she nearly screamed in fury,

"What the fuck, Matt?! That's my car!"

"You should stay home tonight."

He said coolly in light of what he now knew.

"You can't fucking dictate what I should and shouldn't do!"

She fumed, storming to him and rooting herself firmly on the ground in front of him, looking up to meet his eyes with fury. He furthered,

"Take a break for once, do something nice - and if you can't manage that, then study. You could even spend some quality time with your grandfather."

"STOP IT!"

She threw her arms up at him and growled again.

"I can't _believe_ you!"

She held her head in her hands a moment, having stepped away from him.

"Believe what you want, Rey."

He shrugged and she kept trying to source his reasoning for what he did but she couldn't. He knew that she either wouldn't go to work at all or would have to be accompanied were she to go. She would be in the most danger alone, but he knew The Rebels usually liked making a scene - the best way to do that when you are amongst the most wanted is to cause a scene within the judicial territory. Aka, the local Police Department that's been tracking them the most lately... At the very least the department have sufficient facilities should they be attacked in any way...

"I really hate you."

Rey growled with the discovery of what Kylo had done. He smiled with a smug grin,

"Like you said, Sweetheart - you don't even know me. How can you hate someone you don't even really know?"

He almost taunted to her, she decided with a casual and sarcastic shrug,

"Well I wasn't exactly pen pals with Hitler but I seriously hate him too."

Kylo guffawed,

"Oh common! You like me better than Hitler, right?"

She just stared at him, unwilling to give him any satisfaction from the answer... She turned away and stormed back into her house, it looked like she couldn't make work.


	4. Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know I said a couple days that turned out to be a few hours but I couldn't resist!
> 
> The song lyrics and mention I have put in the last chapter and this one is Sampha's 'No One Knows Me (Like the Piano)'
> 
> And I hope you like the new chapter :) - Violence and implications of sex in this one folks. Oh and it's angst-tastic so I hope you're up for that haha.
> 
> Kudos, comments and bookmarks are all greatly appreciated! :D

"You never told me my current client was a gambler."

Kylo Ren demanded to Snoke over the phone, it was code for 'why didn't you tell me Wexley was a _Dealer_?!' And Snoke chuckled darkly a moment,

"Very good, Kylo. I knew you'd work it out. Are you almost done? I have another job for you when you've returned."

His spine tingling voice wasn't even masked by the crackling of the connection on the mobile. Kylo nodded though Snoke couldn't see of course,

"I know the routine, and the drill. I'll be back to catch up for the next meeting."

Meaning he knew Wexley's routinely activities, the way in which he must be Eliminated and he will be back to report for the next time The First Order will meet. When Snoke flipped the phone shut, he removed the sim and snapped it. He'd used it for the maximum phone calls allowed in their gangs code - another rule that he'd created himself.

"Hux."

Hux took a step forward to receive his job.

"The Rebels. Kanata is his name. He's causing too much indiscretion and making us look foolish. You know what you have to do."

He nodded and left immediately, as Snoke did the signature stroke of his cloaked shoulder and he continued,

"Phasma."

The tall blonde approached, running a hand through her slicked back pixie cut. Helmetless, of course - Snoke had always ruled that he's to know every face that worked for him.

"Come closer."

He beckoned in a rasped voice and gestured slowly with his gloved hand. Phasma swallowed the lump in her throat as she did as commanded. Her three steps rang out in the stone room and there was a deafening silence that followed for an intense moment. Snoke was seated, as always, above but he managed to lean toward her menacingly staring her down through his bone chilling mask of torn grey flesh, she couldn't look at him. When she finally flit her gaze to him, he smacked her face with a backhanded slap and his knuckle duster. She fell to her knees with the force of it, spitting out the blood that stained her teeth as she made an effort to stand to her full height once more, dead panned. Snoke finally leaned back into his usual stance and voiced,

"That was for the indiscretion and near miss of you're last Elimination job."

Phasma said nothing. Merely stared past Snoke as he continued to eye her before smiling with feigned delight,

"No matter. I have another task for you to make up for it."

Phasma met his gaze, an almost imperceptible glossiness to her pale eyes. Snoke furthered,

"Turns out Old Ben Kenobi is still alive..."

She visibly stiffened. Snoke continued, almost amused with the chills that ran through them all,

"Yes, I know. And we've received intelligence from one of the Scouting jobs that he's not far from here, either."

Snoke nearly chuckled before finishing,

"He's getting to be on his way out, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, sir."  
___________________________________________________________

Poe smiled brightly just the same but the more he thought about it the more it ate away at him.

"Are you alright?"

Rey asked as they began walking into the Police station.

"Hmm? Oh, yea..."

He frowned a moment and shrugged it off. When he first saw Rey come out of that black Jag his mouth gaped for a solid minuet until he realised it wasn't hers, she'd gotten out the back seat and hung her head inside the window a moment before walking over. Poe only saw it for a second but he saw the man in the drivers side as he drove off with a smirk plastered on his features. Poe could have sworn he recognised him -

" _Who was that?!_ "

He asked emphatically, a hint of suggestion to his voice and Rey warned half heartedly,

"Don't start! That was just _Matt_. He buggered my tyre, so."

Almost sneering his name, after what he did to her car. Poe raised his brows a moment,

"Wow, OK - Wait... _Life saver_ Matt?"

"And tyre deflater."

She added to cease his thoughts as they finally met with Leia in the station, the buzz of various phone calls and coffee making - as stereotypical as it sounds, it's only because the food court was so close and that's where Rey now worked for a short time - but not tonight, tonight she'd be helping Sheriff Solo-Organa with files whilst Poe goes on a ride along.

"Back in a sec."

Poe stated before dashing off further in, presumably to Leia's office or to sign them both in. Rey glanced around to see the news coverage on a television set close by, Rose Tico's sister, Paige, plastered on the screen amongst two other faces, the tag line beneath reading, 'BREAKING NEWS: THE MISSING FOUND DEAD'. Rey sighed, a heavy feeling residing on her chest before The Sheriff and Poe's footsteps sounded nearby and Leia voiced,

"Oh good, you made it, Rey - Poe told me you had car trouble. Poe, liaise with Deputy Ackbar for the ride along. Rey, get a coffee before you come to my office - you're gonna need it."  
_________________________________________________________

Rey was on her back on the lavish sofa, breathing heavily from Matt kissing her. Heart in frantic palpitations as he moved to run his hand slowly, tauntingly up her increasingly bare thigh, the action of his hand gathering the material of her skirt, the other cradling her arched back and she bit down on a smile. He looked into her eyes after giving her another once over and biting his lip in a soft whisper,

"You know, I can take whatever I want."

As he kissed her sensually and Rey suddenly awoke with a start. _Jesus Christ!_ She flushed beet red and flit her eyes around, flooding with shame at the dream and shook it off vehemently as Leia gazed at her from over her shoulder with a small smile,

"Told ya you'd need the coffee."

Rey wheezed an awkward laugh before straightening herself out, reprimanding herself harshly. Even more so when she seemed to think of his stupid perfect hair and annoyingly captivating eyes... The mystery around him started to bother her less - she snapped herself from the thoughts immediately. She still didn't trust him, and he was an utter arsehole, _but that doesn't mean he's not nice to look at at least_ she thought impulsively - _NO! Ugh..._

She growled at herself under her breath. This could potentially be a long shift... She thought she was smarter than this! He was a completely moronic _scoundrel_ that even screwed with her car! _That's taken me fucking ages to fully fix up_ , she thought, irate. She bit her lip facing the paperwork - if only it were to do with Mechanics or Astro-Physics...  
__________________________________________________________

"Can I get you anything to drink, Mr Kenobi?"

Finn asked benignly as he hung his jacket up, laughing at Old Ben's response,

"A scotch on the rocks would be lovely."

"Rey would murder me!"

Not literally, he hoped anyway... Maybe she'd slap him and leave it there... He gulped with a shaky laugh, remembering the first time he met Rey - it was years ago, and she'd seen Finn in someone else's jacket, being told that it wasn't his... Needless to say, she was very hands on with the situation... But it belonged to an old friend, whom oddly, he reunited with and is now his boyfriend today. He smiled at the thought, and at the memory of how he met one of his best friends. Old Ben laughed,

"You might be right there about my Rey!"

Finn settled for glasses of water for them both and sat on the stool afore his tatty chair and Old Ben sighed as he glanced at the paper Finn grabbed for him earlier that day,

"Oh just look at this, isn't it terrible..."

Finn set his gaze upon the page Old Ben had turned to after wetting his fingertips for a grip, seeing Paige Tico alongside two others on a story of how they died... Finn felt downcast and set himself a reminder to ask how Rose was doing the next time he saw her in class.

"It's awful..."

Finn said, agreeing.

"It's all happening again..."

Old Ben whispered elusively and Finn frowned at him a moment, but he wasn't looking at anything but the paper. Then suddenly Old Ben smiled warmly at Finn,

"I'm so pleased Rey's made such good friends. She'll need you lot when I'm gone."

Finn gasped a small intake of breath, his chest contracting a moment,

"Don't say that, Ben!"

He beseeched softly and he smiled in response, shaking his head,

"I know I don't have long, Finlay. I'm just happy that Rey won't be on her own."

Finn smiled as Old Ben pat his hand a moment before reaching for something from under his arm chair - a game of scrabble.

"Try to beat me at this! I'm very good, you know."

Old Ben teased lightly, and earning chuckles from each as Finn smiled,

"Oh it's on, Kenobi!"

And they smiled before opening the dog-eared box to play.  
__________________________________________________________

Chewie didn't say much. He wasn't even American in fairness, he was somehow even taller than most men and built like an ox with chestnut hair and ocean blue eyes that could hardly be seen by his bushy brows. It was an extraordinarily rare sight to see him weep. He shed another tear over the news. Han pat his back, as sympathetically as the man could manage. They were no longer waiting, merely sitting in the Police Department - they already know why they're there. Suddenly, Maz burst through the glass doors to the station with her small topaz hands, wide eyed and panting, shortly followed by few others in uniform. The small woman ran over to Chewie and Han, nearly choking on breath, her tight onyx locks occasionally whipping her face. The moment she locked eyes with Chewie, she knew. And now she was trying to choke back broken sobs.

Maz literally shook with the pain as Chewie rose to embrace her with his strong arms, crying into her slender shoulder. Rey poked her head from around the shutters to Leia's Sheriff's office to look upon the upset - only to see her bosses, one of which being reduced to tears upon his wife's shoulder. In that moment, Leia dragged her feet back into her office and raised a palm to Rey tiredly as she'd opened her mouth to ask.

"It's their son. His body's just been found."

Leia croaked. That was seemingly all she'd be told about that for now, as if she'd ask though. Leia was unfortunately still surprised with her job. Their son's mangled body was found amongst another known member of one of the locally active gangs named The Rebels. The cause of death undeniably murder. Leia huffed a sigh as she held her head in her hands... After all those years of searching for their boy, only to find him that way. Murdered. Leia couldn't help but imagine if that were her son, Ben. She counted the days, hours, minuets even. Each moment that her son had utterly erased himself from their lives. She doesn't know anything about him now, and that killed her. What was worse, was that she'd finally stopped trying to call him.  
______________________________________________________

Kylo was alone. Glancing askance out of the glass paned wall facing the city below. The room was dark, as the lights were out. The only light being reflected off of the moon's silvery surface, casting blanched light across the glossy, black grand piano and his bare shoulder and chest. He was in a vacuous, monotonously styled room, modern and sleek. He breathed deeply to help the strain of his muscles, and to ease his tormented mind. He began skilfully trilling the ivories, idly playing a tune he created as a young man, about ten years ago now. He closed his eyes as he played, feeling the music itself until he began to hammer his fingers against the keys, replaying his thoughts from the day.

Wexley.

_Wexley was walking down the same street he had walked for years since he'd started his new job... And since he'd apparently started being a Dealer for The Rebels amongst who knows which other gangs_.

Kylo now had a deeply set frown upon his features with his effort to play the tune uninterrupted by thought.

_Kylo was stealthily hidden behind a dank building, a stray dog moaning close by. The damp, lamplit street was devoid of life, save for himself and Wexley. He emerged his masked face to see Wexley holding a shopping bag and an opened can of cherry soda. He knew this wasn't the Dealer side of Snap Wexley that he would meet, quite purposefully, as he would be even harder to Eliminate if he wasn't off guard._

Kylo now had beads of sweat peppering his forehead and the nape of his neck as he played on.

_The masked Kylo revealed his position to Wexley and conjured the weapon that Rey initially assumed to be a lighter and Wexley froze._

_"I know what you are. And your debt to Snoke hasn't been paid."_

_Wexley flit his gaze nervously to the weapon in Kylo's hand until he shakily laughed,_

_"And I know what you are. Or rather, who you are."_

Kylo's tune began to distort as he focused less upon the ivory keys and more upon the story that he couldn't escape in which was barely hours ago.

_Kylo's turn to freeze. His limbs felt temporarily paralysed as he swallowed a lump in his throat - what was happening to him? He'd never flinch before but now... He regained his composure and claimed,_

_"Then you know what I have to do. What I will do."_

_Wexley sighed,_

_"I never thought I'd see you again. Especially like this, Ben."_

_The use of his name triggered his anger, an animalistic and instinctive anger that came at when he felt underestimated in what he had to do. What he had to be._

Kylo emanated a pained guttural noise as his back muscles contorted between his shoulder blades and now he was thrashing the keys in a disastrous sequence.

_Kylo was moments from flicking the edge of his weapon before Wexley whispered,_

_"Take off your mask, Ben."_

_And Kylo nearly growled,_

_"Stop that."_

_And Wexley caved, holding his hands up higher, bag contents and soda littering the floor._

_"Alright, alright. Just please, let me see your face."_

_And Kylo was taken aback by his request. He unclipped the metal at the back of his raven mask and removed it carefully, slowly placing it upon the concrete surface of the curb. The streetlight tinted the encounter sepia. Wexley sighed a genuine smile before closing his eyes. Kylo took a long moment to actually hold the weapon to Wexley._

Kylo stopped playing altogether and began breathing in near hysterics as he doubled over on the piano. Wexley's cold, bloodied face on the wet, cold concrete. He was wracked with guilt. He'd not experienced that to this degree before. He looked to the indigo sky for answers that wouldn't come. His breathing slowed but was still deep, as if he were starved of air, having been drowning. He wiped stray strands of congealed hair from his slick forehead and he was suddenly reminded of the torture he could have endured had he not completed this task as he held a hand to his chest, where one of his most protruding scars were embedded - Snoke used reminders to keep the gang in check.

"Jacob? Is everything ok?"

The blonde wrapped in his bed sheets from the spare room had croaked tiredly from the doorframe and he internally rolled his eyes,

"I'm fine."

He'd sounded sharper than he'd intended but he hardly cared. She made no effort to move,

"Sheesh, ok then."

She uttered before attempting a sultry pose in a seductive purr,

"'Sure I can't offer a supplement?"

Kylo glanced at her and she slid out of the bed sheets, standing stark naked in his door frame and he checked her out again but shrugged,

"We've already done that."

Before turning back away to lean on the piano. She scoffed,

"What?"

He rolled his eyes before turning back to her,

"Just get out!"

And spun back to face his piano again and the blonde roughly gathered the sheets back around her and muttered darkly,

"Screw you, Jacob."

"You already have."

He noted idly to himself and by the time she'd gathered her belongings, she threw a pair of silver stilettos at his back from the front door and he winced, spinning to face her with a deepset frown and his hands afore him,

"What -?"

"I don't want your stupid shoes anymore than I want to be charmed!"

He raised a brow comically,

"Honey, I'd never fit in those. And they're not really my style."

As he raised the high heeled shoes from where they landed and she growled,

"Bastard."

Before slamming the door shut behind her. Kylo ran a hand through his raven locks as he sat facing his piano once more. When Kylo had sat in silence in his vacuous apartment room for long enough, he began quietly and delicately brushing the piano keys to Sampha's 'No one knows me like the piano.' The song calmed him, his muscular strain, his mind.

He couldn't sing and so he merely thought of the lyrics, and what they meant to him. But now, the song also compelled him to think about Rey. Hoping that The Rebels weren't stupid enough to try anything on her actually _at_ the police station now that they couldn't attack her whilst she was driving in one way or another, for she wouldn't be alone. He briefly wondered how she'd get home too, but he knew she would get a ride. As he thought about the song whilst playing, he was suddenly back in his car again when he closed his eyes - _his eyes were open, gazing at her in the back seat. How she swept her damp hair from her almond shaped brown eyes and the way her clothes clung to her body..._ He opened his eyes with a start and sighed, running a hand through his hair again as he abruptly stopped playing.

"Jesus Christ."

He whispered, exasperated. He closed the lid over the keys and held his head in his hands, elbows against the piano. It was seemingly one of those nights where he'd be thinking about everything he wanted to run away from. He caught sight of a digital clock on a desk close by and noticed that his first meeting back with The First Order was only in a few hours.  
_______________________________________________________

Poe nearly ran into the police station, tripping over his feet just to tell Sheriff Solo-Organa the news - only to see her husband consoling his business partner and Police Chief Kanata. He locked eyes with Han Solo, who flicked his head towards Leia's office in prompt. Instead of darting across and in the way, Poe respectfully walked the long way around outside through the back to the other doorway along the side of the department building. He knocked for the Sheriff and smiled at Rey as well upon entering.

"Good, Poe. Deputy Ackbar just got off the coms - you have some good news for me."

She sounded as if she wanted to add the phrase 'that makes a change', clearly the police department as a whole had seen better days. Poe beamed,

"Sheriff, we believe we've found a hideout or base of sorts that belongs to one of the gangs that are active in the area."

Leia's brows shot up in surprise, Rey's more so - who'd given up on trying to concentrate on filing in this moment in time. Leia whispered in awe,

"Perfect! Have you filled a report?"

Poe nodded, handing her the papers in his hands that he nearly crushed and crumpled as he ran over from the parked police car outside.

"To summarise, it was dark and dank and there were apparently no signs of life but when going inside -"

"Poe, this was a _ride along_ \- who authorised you to go inside?"

Leia spoke firmly but her tone of voice was filled with concern. Poe flit his eyes to the ground for a few moments and Rey started to glance disapprovingly at him as he admitted,

"Um... Well, technically I wasn't - BUT! At least I found something!"

He smiled and Leia quirked a brow at him as he flourished,

"I properly handled the evidence and put it in one of those plastic bags, so my DNA wouldn't disrupt any readings or whatever but I had to give it to the Deputy..."

He seemed disappointed and Rey could tell that he was half hoping for a run in with the gangsters to serve some justice - well, attempt to anyway. Poe was strong and daring, but a high schooler against a gang... Leia attempted to stop the smirk from tugging at her features, she couldn't help but see some of that impulsiveness of his in herself, and even in her own husband from when they were young especially.

"Still, you are not a member of the force just yet, Mr Dameron. It was lucky enough that you got to even go on a ride along. You're still a high school student, and I won't have you risking your life like that again, do you understand?"

Poe dipped his head with a nod.

"Good."

Leia added and began to turn away, only to stop herself as Poe began to walk away himself,

"Oh, and Poe?"

He spun around, ears perked,

"Good work."

She smirked before turning back to Rey. Poe beamed a bright smile and a small 'thank you!' Before finally leaving the office in order to wait for Rey outside. Leia smiled brightly to Rey as she leant on the desk she sat at amongst the strewn papers,

"You've done some great work, Rey. You can go home now. And send my best to your grandfather."

Rey smiled brightly with as fervent thanks as she could manage before she left. Only when she had gone did Leia dare to open her top drawer to her desk to unearth one of the last pictures of her son that she had taken.

"Oh, Ben... Where are you?"

She whispered to herself. Rey had shut the office door quietly as not to disturb what she knew to be out here... Only to find the walkway empty save for one of her best friends. Poe was sat waiting for her and smiled upon seeing her,

"Hey! I would ask, but I _know_ how boring filing papers is."

And she tried to smile through her tired eyes, it was late for Rey. **22:58** to be exact, and Rey was shattered. She tried not to think about what she dreamed of during her little doze...

"Let's just go. You can tell me all about that ride along! I'm so jealous! I would have loved that!"

Rey held his arm with the excitement as they giggled like middle school girls over it.

"Just to be serious for a minuet, don't go looking for it Rey. I know I shouldn't have either, but you shouldn't underestimate the danger of a place like that. Leia was right."

Poe stated, looking Rey dead in the eye knowing full well what sort of ideas she was having about scoping out and maybe even scavenging. Rey sighed, she knew he was right, but to some degree, she couldn't help it... It thrilled her, the excitement of danger, but equally not enough for her to be stupid enough to be asking to get attacked. Rey thought about everything she'd seen in her life and even to her (relatively newfound) experiences with gangs... She was reminded of something as she asked,

"Poe, you didn't actually say, but what was it that you found?"

He shrugged,

"Oh just some random crap, really. Like knives, mementos or codes with pictures of people - some of whom I know are dead, you know the weird kind of unexplained deaths? And, and some costume thing or mask or something it was kinda small - oh and a lighter."

Rey almost zoned out of his babble, until she was subconsciously triggered by something he'd said. But she tried not to dwell on it as they left the station to go to his home and her house to drop them off and relieve Finn of care taking.  
_________________________________________________________

The meeting place was further out of town and at a secured base of theirs, so The First Order were permitted to speak liberally about their jobs and terms used and such. Kylo was surprised to see Snoke wasn't already there. Snoke was always there first, without fail, unless he had a job of his own to take care of - but such occurrences were exceedingly rare. The room was filled with a steely silence, each member sizing up the other. Maskless. Kylo assumed all would be attending the meeting, and from nothing but sheer curiosity, he asked Hux next to him,

"Where's Phasma?"

And he soon came to realise it to be sheer dumb luck also. As Hux responded coolly,

"Elimination. Old Ben Kenobi and possible associates. Apparently he's close. Who would have thought? One of the greats..."

But Kylo Ren had zoned out from the conversation as he was taken back to the brief encounter with Rey's grandfather. Rey _Kenobi's_ grandfather. _And possible associates_.

"How long does she have?"

Kylo said with his classic voice of silk to mask how anxious he actually felt. He couldn't fathom why he'd felt that way about it, all he could think was _not her_.

"She's to start right away, and she's got up to a week or so because we already found where he resides now."

Kylo swallowed a golf ball sized lump but nodded with a coerced smirk. He couldn't place why it even bothered him so much. Before, he wasn't affected by these feelings of guilt and anxiety. Hell, even his last Elimination was one of 'the greats' - Lor San Tekka, and it took him minuets to cut him down and not blink about it. But as the meeting ensued, his distraction from Snoke was unparalleled. All he could think about was that Scavenger high schooler that worked at a repair shop to get by.

"Kylo Ren."

Kylo shook his thoughts away and took a step toward him.

"Payment."

He was thrown a packaged enveloped which he knew to be a great sum of money for his Elimination of Snap Wexley... The lump returned temporarily, his body still hasn't been discovered...

"Another job. And take as long as it needs to take -"

Kylo frowned deeply at this - there was always a time limitation.

"One of the greats, he owes me too much money to be accounted for. And it's been too long. Elimination."

Kylo held his breath... Why was he being given all the time in the world? Suddenly Snoke laughed,

"Even you, Kylo Ren, have never faced such a test."

Now Kylo's palms were sweating and he tried to breathe. He fought the impulse to search the room for answers, instead he stated robotically,

"Name them."

He said, almost bored. Snoke leant further forward from his seat with a wicked grin through the mask of torn grey flesh and spoke, with a heart wrenching voice,

"Han Solo."

***

Kylo slammed his car door shut when he was finally alone in his tinted windowed car, breathing frantically, like a broken man being torn apart. His fa-... _Han Solo_ branded in his mind. He decided to go for a drive to clear his head. Street lamps flashed by as he sped up and nearly drove out of the state until he screeched on the breaks, remembering The Scavenger and her grandfather being in danger... He didn't want to question why this caused him to turn the car back around.  
________________________________________________________

Rey saw Poe into his house,

"Are you sure you don't want to come back to mine for a bit? Especially with Finn there?"

Rey offered as he turned around to face her with a sad smile,

"Nah, thanks Rey but I've gotta get in and help ma with dinner, but I'll see you both tomorrow."

Rey smiled knowingly, Poe had just been saying how his house was hosting several family members for his great Uncle's birthday. Rey smiled thoughtfully, hoping that one day she'd have a family with occasions like that. Maybe one day. She walked back to the police cruiser that Deputy Holdo had driven them both home in, only to frown at the sight of Holdo's troubled facial expression.

"I'm sorry, Rey, I just got an urgent call - are you alright to walk the rest of the road home?"

Rey nodded,

"Of course, I hope it turns out alright."

Trying to smile, as was Holdo, before she wistfully drove away from her and she trekked her way on the sidewalk. All that could be heard was the rhythmic thud of her footfalls on he concrete... In an almost eerie quiet. Rey found herself walking a little faster, sure she saw an ominous figure looming in the corner of her eye. Until the silence was interrupted by the blaring of a siren.

Rey started as vehicle after vehicle flashed past her, cherry red with blinding orange lights that lit the whole street as they soared on through. Rey's heart dropped to her stomach. Feeling momentarily paralysed. There was only one house left this way. Rey's heart pounded against her chest, her desperate strides keeping up with each hammering of a heart beat. All she kept thinking was _it can't be it can't be!_ But the moment she'd turned the final corner, tears welled in her tired eyes. She somehow forced her legs to carry her faster than before as she reached the scene of two fire engines and an ambulance surrounding her house that was alight with an engulfing, utterly consuming, blazing orange fire.

Without thought, Rey violently brushed passed anyone in her way of her grandad and Finn only to hit a solid wall.

"Rey! _Rey_! You can't go in there!"

It was Matt, not a wall. He was so strong he nearly winded her by catching her from running into the fire. His voice apparently more prominent than anyone else who had tried to reach her and grab at her to stop her. She writhed in Kylo's arms, a desperate cry escaping as tears were flowing down her cheeks,

"Matt, please! My Grandad's in there! And Finn!"

Matt gripped her by the shoulders tightly to gain her attention,

"Rey? Rey! Listen to me, look at me, Rey."

He spoke with a firm tone but with no hint of malice. Her wild eyes finally focused on him and her breathing began to slow as he breathed with her, explaining to her soothingly,

"They're in there right now. And any minuet they'll be out with both of them -"

He was interrupted by a wheezing cough from what was left of the doorway - the thick, black billowing smoke became denser the more the fire was being drowned out by the firemen's hoses, leaving a bowel of blackness invading the crimson tainted sky. Both Rey and Kylo whipped their heads to the house at the sound, the cough elicited from Finn.

"Finn!"

Rey gasped as Kylo restrained her a moment longer before getting the OK from a paramedic. Once Matt let her go, Rey ran to Finn anxious to embrace him softly, nearly laughing with relief as she cried,

"I'm so happy you're alright! Where's my grandfather?"

And Finn had just began to pat her back in embrace when she ripped away. He managed to slowly be seated by a paramedic who wanted to feed him oxygen as he croaked quietly,

"He's still... Inside... I couldn't... Get him out."

He felt as though hot ash was embedded in his throat, his lungs, each breath seared with pain.

Rey shot her eyes back at the house, seeing Matt nearly throw his hands to his head and suddenly a suspicious thought came to mind - but it was immediately silenced as her grandad was seen being carried out of the house on a stretcher, unconscious and with oxygen aid. She shot towards her grandad, only to hit prison bars this time, whomever was there to stop her. It wasn't Matt. Rey thrashed against their grips, screeching her lungs dry of air as she could merely watch her grandfather being carried on a stretcher as if wading in water everything felt slow, each heart thud more painful than before. _He's..._ She couldn't bring herself to even think it... Rey couldn't remember the last time she'd felt like this. Or even shown that she did. _Especially in the public eye!_ She mentally chastised herself before finally wrenching free of the vice grip on her arms and stalking to where she knew her grandfather would be taken, furious heated tears streaming silently now. She waited near Finn who was in the ambulance, sat with an oxygen mask being offered every now and then, to which he now turned down good-naturedly.

"He'll be fine, Rey."

Matt voiced collectedly from behind her. She didn't turn around, her fists were still clenched tightly as he mused,

"I'd be surprised if you didn't react that way."

Almost to himself, as if he could read her mind, she thought. She then turned slowly to glance to near incredulity before frantically rushing beside her grandfather,

"Is he alright?! Is he breathing?! Grandad? Grandad?! Ben!"

A golf ball sized lump threatened to choke her as she was being ushered away from his body again as it was Kylo Ren's turn to glance at her with near incredulity, for he initially thought that she was addressing himself... Old Ben Kenobi was loaded into the ambulance as Finn was moved out of the way to sit within. Rey pounded towards to where her grandad lay still, almost peaceful.

"You're not going anywhere without me!"

"Miss, there's no space -"

"THEN MAKE SOME! Don't be so _ridiculous_!"

She thundered, earning a disgusted glare and tut from others around her before Matt voiced out of nowhere again,

"We'll follow you."

Whilst seemingly getting his shiny car ready. Rey gaped at him a moment, temporarily forgetting the real thought provoker here. She turned back to the paramedics in the van who offered a curt nod before closing up the van, and she saw Finn offer a sad smile before the doors slammed shut. She spun around, taking a few steps to the giant man she had to look up to and still try to intimidate,

"Why are you doing this?"

She asked quietly, as if their moment was intimate from everything else, and he frowned. She furthered,

"Helping?"

His frown deepened before he almost whispered himself,

"I don't know."

But Rey softened, she could see it in his eyes. Vulnerability. Even just as slight and imperceptible as it may be, it was there. She could also see that he knew very well what it felt like to lose a loved one. Unthinkingly, she wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head on his chest for a fleeting moment as she whispered fervently,

"Thanks."

Before releasing him to get into his car. Kylo wasn't sure why this small gesture seemed to resonate within his deepest fears and yet his deepest desires. Such a simple, thoughtless gesture, and yet he hadn't dealt with anything as common as mild affection in years. Again, he attempted not to let anything show as he stalked to his side of the car to follow the ambulance that was now leaving the street.


	5. Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! Thanks for being so patient with this story, much obliged and I'm happy you like it!
> 
> Sorry if this chapter isn't as action packed, but trust me I'm building to something!
> 
> I hope the end comes as a cool surprise though!
> 
> This Fic isn't beta read so sorry for any mistakes! I really hope you like the instalment and as always, comments, kudos and bookmarks are all greatly appreciated!
> 
> You know how much I love to babble and fangirl! XD
> 
> Happy reading! I hope to post again within the next few weeks as most of my deadlines are finished with!!
> 
> Right, mini babble over, sorry folks! To the Fic! :) enjoy!

Kylo watched Rey through the glass as she sat eyes glued to her grandfather in the hospital bed, clenched fingers to her lips with silent tears rolling down her cheeks. For a fleeting moment, he wondered what it would be like to be loved that unconditionally.

"Finn!"

Kylo ripped his glance from Rey to source the sudden outcry in the drawled silence and saw a boy running into the arms of the other one who was in the fire along with Rey's grandfather. After a pregnant pause, Finn broke their tender embrace when he'd finally clocked Kylo and he ushered Poe along with him as he approached. Kylo felt a shiver of discomfort before it left as quickly as it came when Finn spoke,

"You're Matt?"

Kylo nodded in response to the boys rasped, weak voice,

"Yes."

Finn offered a tired but sincere smile that seemed to stretch his facial burns that had been patched up,

"Thank you."

Kylo flicked his head good-naturedly as Poe's eyes flit between them in confusion. Finn explained,

"He called the Fire brigade."

And Poe stared in awe a moment before extending his hand,

"Thank you."

Kylo took it briefly as with Finn when offered, trying not to stiffen at the contact.

"You're the Matt that's friends with Rey?"

Poe added and Kylo found himself shrugging,

"Of sorts."

Unsure of how else to label their interactions. The two afore him smiled at the comment, he attempted to refrain from frowning at this, bemused as to why they were amused. Suddenly a door clicked open nearby and they all turned to see a watery eyed Rey emerge into the lightly buzzing corridor. She gasped as she noticed Finn was out and embraced him tightly,

"You're alright!"

She whispered fervently and Kylo even smiled. Poe beamed and embraced the two in a brief levity before releasing them to ask a question, only to be interrupted by a faint buzzing from his pocket,

"Sorry, excuse me a moment."

He added whilst fishing out his phone to answer it nearby. Rey turned to Kylo, and began almost resolutely,

"I was told what you did... I just wanted to thank you. Again."

She added with a small smile that in turn tugged the corner of his lips,

"Anytime."

And she rolled her eyes lightly before asking curiously,

"Why were you there anyway? I mean, _how_?"

Finn glanced curiously himself, as if trying to read the answer from Kylo's eyes. Kylo knew getting involved as deeply as he already had was becoming more and more dangerous by the moment and his exposure would ignite a whole world of pain. Luckily he was a skilled liar, particularly after years of what he's done. He claimed,

"I was just passing through to get to the bar on the end of the street next to the one you live on, I was meeting a friend - that's when I saw the fire."

Finn sighed,

"Sorry it ruined your plans."

Kylo scoffed,

"It's hardly your fault."

And Finn looked away sheepishly, suddenly finding great interest in the bland white floor. Kylo earned a glare from Rey and he internally stiffened - _whoops_. Kylo had forgotten that occurrences like the fire would have been made to look like an accident or a fault of someone else's - never a member of the First Order, so that they're tracks were always covered. This 'Finn' must have assumed it to be his fault... To save an excruciatingly awkward moment, Poe returned from the phone call,

"That was the Sheriff, they're on their way now to report."

Kylo's heart beat harder a moment before he swiftly checked his wrist watch and sighed for effect,

"And I've really got to go, meeting my friend was on business and I said I'd then try to be there by half an hour ago."

Rey seemed disappointed,

"But you need to give a statement, you're a key witness!"

Kylo allowed a smirk before stating,

"All I did was make a phone call. Sorry, sweetheart, I've gotta go."

As he swept passed them, giving a cursory glance to each before doing so and he smirked uncontrollably at the indignant way Rey widened her eyes. He stepped further away down the corridor, until he felt a small hand on his jacket,

"You can't just swan off!"

Rey spoke with an edge of sarcasm with shallow breaths, as if she had to run to catch up to his stride, but it felt as if she were searching for an excuse. He shrugged,

"I did my part."

And before he moved away again, he asked seriously,

"Have you got a place to stay?"

She dropped her arm from his sleeve and flit her eyes to the white, clinical walls, unwilling to look at him,

"I uh... I'll just stay here, with my grandad."

He frowned at her as he waited for her to meet his eyes again to say,

"Rey, common, be serious."

"I am being serious!"

She countered heatedly and he rolled his eyes, _actually I don't doubt that you are serious about it_ , he wanted to say. He glanced to the two boys she was friends with before gazing back at her,

"Look, if you can't stay with them or you get sent away or something, I have a spare room."

She gaped at him for a moment and he frowned,

"Don't look like that, there's no point to you being stranded."

She still couldn't find the words to speak and he began trekking backwards towards the doors, conscious of the time it would take for him to escape before the police arrived,

"Offers' there if you need it."

He voiced before nearly jogging out of the hospital. He knew shortly after he made the brash decision to skip town that it was a stupid one. He had to finish his job... And Eliminate his... To Eliminate Han Solo. His chest tightened to the point where he couldn't breathe for a moment in the bitingly cold air before he swung himself in his car, dreading the possibility of the First Order finding out about his interference with the Elimination of Old Ben Kenobi...

***

"I swear I've seen that guy somewhere before."

Poe wondered allowed as they watched their best friend watch Matt leave and Finn suggested,

"Rey said how he owned his own company, maybe he's uh - famous?"

And Poe lightly scoffed,

"In a state area this large? Unless he invented the Internet - Not likely."

Finn sighed and they both turned their gazes to Rey as she made her way back over, a deep set concentration plastered upon her features.

"I wonder what he said to make her look like that."

Poe frowned inquisitively and Finn shrugged,

"Nah, Rey's just thinking, she always looks like that in AP Physics."

Poe shrugged it off with him and gripped his hand before meeting her halfway in the corridor.

"I just need to get some water, it's why I came out anyway, but I won't be a minuet."

Rey voiced almost as soon as she met with them and left them with their curious thoughts...  
_____________________________________________________

Leia didn't come home until around 10pm and even that was earlier than some nights like these. She sighed as she threw her bag atop the counter top and smiled at the sight of her husband mopping the grease from his hands onto his overalls - he must have finished little before she did.

"Another long day?"

Leia sighed, prompting Han to raise his head with a small smirk,

"Another long day."

She nodded with a smile of her own. She walked towards her husband to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek that was returned before opening an oaken cupboard to retrieve a glass.

"The repair shop is almost - well repaired, by the way."

She noted idly as she filled her glass with tap water and Han nodded, retrieving his coffee from the counter top,

"Good, I need an excuse to get out."

Leia chuckled softly,

"Oh I'd love a mini break right about now."

Somehow making him smile too. It was short lived, as he asked,

"Leia, I heard about the fire."

She turned to meet his gaze, growing ever intensely,

"Did they make it out ok?"

Her lips were a thin line,

"Yea, they're alive thank God. They were lucky that the fire brigade arrived when it did - no one on the street called them though... But either way, I don't know what this all means for Rey."

"She knows to call if she's ever stuck."

Han claimed almost indignantly, as if he'd drilled it into Rey's head time and time again were she to ever be in trouble. Leia sighed,

"I know."

Han nodded collectedly a moment until he asked,

"D'you know how the fire was caused? Or still up for investigation?"

"We think it was an accident, but I don't know... A fire? A full blown fire that fast at Old Ben Kenobi's i -"

She huffed a sigh before continuing,

"It just seems a little too -"

She searched the ceiling for an answer until he finished,

"Obvious?"

Leia sighed, almost unwilling admit,

"Just, after all of the crime around these parts having risen within the last month alone and all the signs being there that it's like before... I don't know, Han. I just have a bad feeling about all of this."

He opened his arms for her to fall into his warm and familiar embrace. He held her quietly a moment before speaking softly,

"It'll sort itself out, sweetheart. It'll all come around in the end."

Having found out the hard way of the truth coming back to haunt you, Han strongly believed this now. Leia's eyes inexplicably found the fireplace and noticed something... She stiffened until Han asked her what was wrong, pulling away from the embrace enough to see her face.

"The pictures, they're all down now."

She noted with a despairing tone. Both her and Han have been trying to move on with their lives rather than wallowing in the loss of their son... Now there weren't any pictures at all in the house to remind them of anything. Suddenly, Leia heard, in order, Han's brick of a phone and then her own buzz unassumingly...  
_____________________________________________________

Rey cast her mind back to when things were easier. Well, a happier moment. How she'd ride on the front of Poe's skateboard with him down the street if they were board or he knew she needed cheering up, they'd watch the street lights dance in the night as they flew by. How she'd cook some new recipe with Finn that he'd had found in a dog eared cookbook of his Nana's for her grandad... Her grandad. She allowed a silent tear to roll down her cheek as she watched him in the crisp hospital bed, pretending to herself that he was merely sleeping. The distant trill of the radio resonating in the quiet room that was a shared ward.

"I hope this doesn't mean that you're going to miss helping me prepare for my graduation speech, grandad."

Rey croaked with an infinitesimal smile tugging at her lips, as she tried not to cry anymore. His withered features seemed far more sallow when his eyes weren't alight and he wasn't smiling.

"Miss Kenobi?"

Rey slowly turned to see a female nurse address her softly,

"His condition still hasn't changed, dear. Is there anywhere you can stay? We're happy to call the moment anything changes, but for right now, you're grandfather is likely to be in this state for some time. You may as well - ... try to rest."

She didn't miss her hesitation, and it felt like a hole was punched through her chest. _She was going to tell me to go home... But what home?_ Rey thought. Rey ran through her options... Poe was hosting multiple family members and so he barely had room for himself and Finn has more of a broken home than herself, technically being back in foster system until they let him take care of himself when he turns eighteen. She didn't really have any other friends to... Her mind traced to Matt. His offer ... _'Look, if you can't stay with them or you get sent away or something, I have a spare room... '_ and she shook her head, realising one more person she could call...

"Ok."

Was all she'd managed to croak to the nurse before she offered an apologetic smile and tended to another patient, leaving Rey to her thoughts momentarily before messaging her boss and his wife.

***

"But Rey, it's been a week, are you sure you don't want to stay with us?"

Leia implored over the phone to Rey as she wandered the hall just outside the door to the ward where her grandfather lay, still unconscious but 'steady'. Leia shared a look with Han, wondering if Rey really knew.

"Exactly... It's been a week and he still isn't awake."

Rey tried not to allow her voice to croak as she furthered,

"Sheriff, he's the only family I've got I can't -"

She caught her breath and composed herself,

"I can't leave."

Leia nodded though she couldn't see her. Rey knew that she'd set out to ask for their help, to stay. But now there was a new strength in her resolve as she watched her grandfather. Leia's thoughts traced to her son... Han was now the only family she had it seemed. And so she croaked that she understood how Rey felt.

"You will call us if you change your mind?"

She prompted and Rey smiled,

"I will."

"Alright - oh, hold on Rey, Han wants to talk to you."

Leia claimed before passing the phone to her agitated husband.

"Rey -"

"I can handle myself, boss. Don't worry about me."

Rey interrupted lightly, having had this minor lecture many a time before.

"I know you can, that's why I let you open and close the repair shop by yourself."

Rey chuckled softly at that and Han smiled a moment before continuing,

"Look kid, why don't you at least eat some dinner with us, huh? Bet you haven't eaten any real food at that hospital."

He added sardonically, making Leia quirk a brow in levity as Rey beamed,

"Thanks, but -"

"We'll take you back after if you really want."

He added persuasively and Rey bit down on her smile, eyes wandering in search of an excuse.

"I shouldn't intrude, it's late -"

"What's late to a police chief and a guy who hasn't eaten dinner?"

Han asked with his classic charm and Leia smiled, shaking her head as he winked back at her. Rey smirked,

"Are you sure?"

"Wouldn't ask otherwise, Kid."

He wasn't wrong there, Rey thought idly. She finally nodded,

"Alright then, that would be really nice. Thank you."

And Han smiled his half smile,

"Perfect, sit tight, kid - I'll come get you."

And he hung up, leaving Rey smiling ear to ear. Perhaps her grandad wasn't the last of what it means to have a family...  
_________________________________________________________________

Everything was out of place. It always had been, but now it was as if it was amplified to the point where Kylo had more slips and fits of rage when anything went to shit. He'd never felt so unbalanced. And he needed strength. Though Kylo usually appeared clean-cut, especially with clients, there was only one way he could tap into his strengths. He kept this in mind when he practically allowed his opponent to right hook his jaw, making a sickening crack as he spat out the blood from the impact, head nearly spinning. He thought about this pain, and not of those who reseeded this pain...

Raucous cheers and jeers melded in a mass of hazy noise in the damp, decaying basement of all those who weren't on The Hunt - The Hunt was where a gang would steal a hostage from another gang for sport - Kylo rose to his full height once more, fists ready. His opponent, Hux smiled a sneer as his raised as well, a bleeding lip and busted nose. This satisfied Kylo on his most animalistic level as he moved to swing in a jab so that it was sharper than how they'd began to fight, almost abandoning their lithe and skilled mode of combat they'd spent years training in.

The adrenaline coursing through him was like nothing else, he couldn't feel a thing other than the blood pumping through his body. He lifted off the ground to spin and jump kick Hux in the face as swift as the wind, but Hux dipped away just as quickly, Kylo landed with a soft thud on the balls of his feet and when Hux reverted back to their sloppier brawl, they fought savagely for the next twenty minutes, sweat and blood mingling on their bare chests and down their faces, until Snoke uttered in the uproar,

"Enough."

With his hand raised. The gesture should have been utterly drowned out by the gangs crowd and sheer noise. But it was Snoke. All stopped and turned, all that could be heard now were the shallow breaths of Kylo and Hux as they raised themselves to stand. It was the shortest basement fight Kylo had participated in, that was likely sue to the fact that both he and Hux had Elimination jobs in which they needed to pass a certain level of 'aesthetically pleasing'.

"Hux, you've improved but you have a long way to go. Your form must improve."

Hux gave a nod as Snoke turned to Kylo,

"Kylo. I wish to speak with you alone."

Kylo tried not to show that his heart dropped as the others filtered from the room in an eerie silence.

"Supreme leader."

Kylo nodded monotonously. Snoke stared menacingly from behind the mask for what felt like an eternity until finally he rasped,

"I sense there is conflict in you, Kylo Ren."

"With the grace of your training, I will not be seduced."

Kylo felt relived, he knew now that Snoke can't have known about what he had done. Kylo couldn't tell of course, but it seemed as if Snoke raised his brow in response before noting,

"We shall see."

The threat did not go unnoticed by Kylo. He attempted to remain expressionless before he was finally released with Snoke's gesture. He was at the peeled door when Snoke rasped to stop him in his tracks,

"And Kylo."

He paused as Kylo turned his head over his shoulder.

"Kill whatever is making your skills reseed. You've never missed."

Kylo knew he meant his kick, it was something of a signature and Hux had slipped inches out of the way. Has it been since Wexley's Elimination? He nodded a dulcet,

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

Before leaving the basement to clean up, passing several members of the gang in doing so, who watched him with disdainful curiosity. They were always curious as to the how's and the whys to what made Kylo further up than themselves. If there was one thing he was lucky for, it was that most of these people didn't know anything about him. It was one of the first rules that Snoke knew every face that worked for him - in turn, everything about them. That usually led to others knowing a fair amount about each other. But not Kylo. Kylo was almost as faceless as Snoke to these people. And Kylo knew that had to be because of the legacy his family name held in more ways than one in this state let alone the city. Snoke was the only person to know who his family are _or were..._

Kylo knew how he could get his strengths back. What he needed to do to stop being ripped apart from the inside.  
_________________________________________________

Rey couldn't help the little hums of pleasure that escaped her lips as she ate with enthusiasm, making Han and Leia smile.

"I told ya - real food."

Han glanced to his wife on the side who shook her head with a smile. Leia waited until Rey had completely finished before asking her,

"Rey, if you don't mind my asking - your grandfather -"

"It's fine,"

Rey assured before finishing,

"There hasn't been a change but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

With the utmost hope in her tone to the point it was facade. Han and Leia exchanged a look. They both knew that Rey was far from inept intellectually and practically. And so she must have known he wasn't just unconscious...

"Did you know him? He's said he knows you both."

Rey said suddenly out of an oddly high curiosity.

"A while ago."

"Yea, goin back thirty years."

Han finished for Leia as Rey nodded. Rey glanced to the side for a moment, her grandfathers bright eyes in her mind as Leia exchanged another look with her husband. As if she'd decided something and his nod affirmed she should do it.

"Rey?"

Rey turned her attention to Leia as she spoke tentatively,

"How much do you know about your grandfather's youth?"

The question took her aback, a deep set frown on her features in a perplexed moment as she thought,

"Oh uh... Well, I know he served Queen and country when we were in England and that was before my parents were even born erm..."

She searched the floor for further answers... What _did_ she know about her grandfather's past? She suddenly remembered him making a comment about when he worked with Han and Chewie...

_"You wouldn't like it if I told you..."_

How, _"It wasn't very safe work from a certain point of view..."_

Rey looked into their eyes and saw they wanted to tell her something.

"Why?"

Leia took another moment before reaching for Rey's hands across the table with a smile,

"It'll be alright Rey, but I just want you to take some extra precautions from now on..."

Rey glanced between the two afore her from Han to Leia and again.

"What kind of... Precautions?"

Leia's smile eased her some but Han's seemed more coerced until he stopped trying.

"Well, with the fire -"

Rey unintentionally winced as flashes from that terrible night came to view in her thoughts before Leia continued,

"I know you're familiar with difficult times, but we want to try to make it easier for you, too."

"Why do I need to take more precautions?"

Rey asked, dumbfounded as to why the Sheriff of all people was beating around the bush - something she never did. Han finally spoke,

"Kid, some things we might have had to do back then left a few people not happy about it."

Rey nodded slowly as she looked at her food. She understood. Treading carefully, she asked,

"And these... things - might cause him to become -"

She couldn't bring herself to label him as a _target_ , a lump constricting her throat prohibited it even if she wanted to keep talking in that second. Han and Leia remained quiet until Rey implored them with her eyes. Han leaned forward infinitesimally.

"Yes."

"Why are you telling me this?"

She asked, _what can I do about it? They already know where we live... Whoever they are..._ But in that moment, Leia's phone began to ring. It resonated in the silence for a moment until she finally broke away from the table, excusing herself in order to answer it.

"Sheriff Solo-Organa speaking."

She said in a tired voice as she internally rolled her eyes and she leant on the counter top. The attitude was quickly subverted however.

"Sheriff, I know you're off duty but we found a gang's base on a field mission -"

Deputy Holdo spoke frantically down the phone, Leia stood up from the counter in astonishment as she continued.

"We have severe casualties and we..."

Holdo caught herself from choking on a sob and Leia held her breath,

"What is it, Holdo?"

After a crackled silence on the line, she finally uttered,

"Dameron's M.I.A."


	6. Rose - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late update again guys, lots has been going on I know that's a shitty excuse but It caused me to abandon my works and I recently started another of my fics again having left it so I wanna do the same with this one! Enjoy the update, 
> 
> But be warned, the chapter contains derogatory terms/statements and ends with a distressing act of violence.
> 
> This fic is not beta read so please excuse mistakes, really hope you guys enjoy! Comments, kudos and bookmarks are all greatly appreciated :)

**13 hours earlier...**

Rose Tico thought that walking with a spring in her step would come back to her by now. But the feeling of... A piece of her very life and soul were missing. Never to return. Rose held onto her half medallion in her small palm as she wandered through the sea of people that seemed to part around her. She looked at her medallion instead of looking up most days as trying to ignore the stares felt more excruciating each time she tried. No one even brushed passed her, she was quite literally avoided. She used her peripheral vision to find her locker in the pantheon of muted orange coloured lockers when she knew she was close, letting the medallion fall on her chest rather than tucking it under her purple sweater.

She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she clicked open the locker to retrieve her books for AP physics. Though her sister - she audibly winced... Either way, she had to carry on with... Well, life. She held her chin up, retrieving the unnecessarily large text book they were studying from this semester and sighed, her locker bedecked with photographs of all her friends and family, smiling sweetly. Her finger idly traced her sisters face for a quiet moment, the halls emptying. She snapped herself out of her reverie and nearly slammed her locker door shut.

"Hey Rose -!"

"HOLY! -"

Rose stopped herself from cursing as she attempted to calm her wild eyes and palpitating heart, hand on her chest as she breathed deeply, her face too round and sweet to cast much of a glare up to Finn, who was trying to bite down on his smile,

"Sorry!"

As he held his hand out for her text book so she could open her bag. She couldn't stay mad at someone as kind as he. He'd always been kind to her, but they began a sort of friendship since.. Rose didn't want to place when. It's impossible after what he'd been through as of late, the evidence of burns and upon his features made her wince for him.

"Did you do the homework?"

Rose's eyes popped again as she stiffened, only to remember that she did do the work. She sighed an exasperated sigh at herself before nodding,

"Yea, I don't think I used my notes though."

Finn shrugged as they began making their way to their class,

"I'm sure it's fine, if you want you can look at mine before Mr.Calrissian gets there?"

"It's Calrissian today?"

Finn nodded in response and Rose vocalised a, "huh..." Before stating,

"Thanks Finn, but he probably won't even ask for it in."

Finn smiled,

"Good point."

As he pushed the door open to AP Physics. Rose blushed, she hadn't realised how late they were, almost everyone else were seated. Mr. Lando Calrissian turned on his heel towards the door with a raised brow, but upon seeing Rose and Finn he immediately softened his expression and held back whatever sarcastic comment he planned on using. Instead, he gestured broadly to their seats a moment and continued whatever it was he was saying, Rose wasn't really listening... She whipped out her text book and class note book, idly noticing that Rey was absent next to her. Rey had been missing from this class all week. She never missed this class. As Finn set out his belongings from across the way on a lab table over, Rose attempted to attract his attention, upon doing so she indicated to the empty space next to her with an inquisitive expression. Finn shook his head.

***

Rose slipped the card into Rey's locker with a small smile before looking to Finn,

"For when she gets back."

Wanting to spread some kindness herself. Finn beamed and only just noticed the necklace Rose wore,

"That's really pretty."

He commented in awe, and Rose smiled sadly before she thanked him quietly, it wasn't the reaction Finn expected. He thought better than to ask further on it. He somehow smiled even brighter than before when he noticed Poe in that moment, walking down the hall with his muted orange and white letterman around his waist, his father's dog tag that he wore blinking in the sunlight that filtered through. The sun danced on his features and his charming smile made Finn melt. Finn argued it made everyone melt, but Poe of course denied this, or at least that it didn't matter about anyone else.

"Hey guys, what's goin' on?"

Poe beamed as he nearly hauled himself on the two like a puppy, making them laugh. Rose even surprised herself that she could still laugh.

"Just making a delivery."

Rose commented and Poe raised a brow,

"Oh yea?"

"Yea,"

Finn smiled before elaborating,

"For Rey."

Poe nodded in understanding before patting their backs,

"Common, let's eat - I'm starving."

"When are you not hungry?"

Finn commented in jest making them chuckle.

"So, Rose, are you up to anything tonight? It is a Friday after all."

Poe asked with undeniably devilish charm that he didn't even realise he had, apparently. Rose smiled bashfully,

"Oh, no,"

Before releasing a nervous chuckle and coughing it down,

"Uh, no. I'd like to say I'd be studying but I know I'll just watch a movie or something."

Poe smirked along with Finn,

"Sounds about right."

"Didn't you say that you were going to Biggs' party?"

Finn asked Poe curiously, as he was often invited to the jocks' parties. They were making their way to the queue for getting food when Poe had shrugged,

"Nah, I mean I might drop in if I can but I'm now on duty tonight."

He winked and Finn smiled, pleased that he enjoyed his work with the police so much and grateful that he was somewhat straying from the idea of being a soldier... At least for now.  
Rose wasn't sure what she really wanted to eat so she grabbed a juice and an apple, claiming she'd grab them some seats as Finn remembered,

"Oh, are we still on for tomorrow?"

"Yea 'course. D'you wanna go to the movies before or after seeing Rey?"

Finn watched his food being slopped in a box with mild disdain that he covered before answering,

"Uh, I don't mind, maybe after? We can watch a movie at any time but we should see Rey in the day - I doubt she's slept well, and she hates surprises on a regular day."

Poe hummed in agreement before he wrinkled his nose at his food, he didn't hide his disdain.

"We should go back to packed lunches."

Poe muttered making Finn smirk as they found their way to Rose.

"Hey, why don't we invite Rose?"

Finn suggested.

"What, to the movies?"

"Yea."

Finn nodded, Poe quirked his brows towards where she was sat by herself and Finn alleviated,

"I know it was meant to be some time just for us but, I just think she could use a friend."

Poe considered it a moment and sighed,

"You're right, I know how I'd be if I'd lost a sister."

 _Not to mention her other friends seem to have gone awol on her_ , Poe thought absently. Finn smiled brightly as he gave his partner an affectionate nudge,

"Alright, let's go."

Poe loved Finn's smile the most, and he was right really. Poe internally sighed, he was sure there would be another opportunity where he could tell Finn that he loves him.  
______________________________________

The time was 00:07 when Sheriff Leia Solo-Organa heard the words,

"Dameron's M.I.A."

She held back a choked sob at the possibilities of what could have happened to him.

"Holdo, grab the volunteers you can for a search party. I'm coming back in."

Han's ears perked up immediately and Rey frowned between them. Leia sighed deeply as she hung up on her deputy, rubbing her ever growing soreness in her eyes.

"Sweetheart?"

Han voiced from the table and Rey wondered why that endearment sounded familiar to her for a brief moment. Han tried to remain calm,

"Leia, you can't go back in! Why can't they do it, you've done your shift -"

"Poe's missing, Han."

Leia uttered quietly, and it silenced him.

"What?!"

Rey stiffened, eyes widened as she shook her head infinitesimally. Leia thought about her sweet and charming assistant who was like family to her, Han thought about the strapping young lad who always took an interest in his work and his adventurous days before being a mechanic. Rey thought about her best friend. He and Finn were like brothers to her. Rey's chest tightened, eyes stung, throat constricted.

"He - he can't be..."

She choked. Leia spun around and gathered her flashlight, jacket, gun and badge refusing to look elsewhere.

"Leia... Leia!"

Han called tiredly as he rose from the table to approach his wife.

"What?!"

She snapped as she finally looked at him. She sighed and immediately apologised and he sighed,

"Are you sure about this? You're tired. Any idiot can see that."

"Han. I can't let this go."

"I'll volunteer."

Both Han and Leia turned slowly to Rey, who was watching the ingrains on the table.

"What?"

The two said in unison as she repeated,

"I'll volunteer. For the search party. I want to volunteer."

As she beseeched to them. Han pursed his lips to a thin line and Leia's brows quirked sadly. Whether they let her or not, she would be searching for him. There was a weighted silence until Han threw his hands up,

"Fine, alright fine! I'll drive. Don't argue that."

He pointed to them both as he grabbed his keys.  
________________________________________

Because this headquarters in particular was so far out from their usual meeting places, they were all to stay in this decaying dump that was abandoned on the side of the road once upon a time, particularly because Shoke wanted all of them here... Kylo hadn't worked out why that is yet... Kylo found his designated quarters and found that incidentally, he was sharing with Hux and some other guy who was a new recruit. You know they're new when they have a shaved head and blank faces. As a sort of initiation, new recruits are put through all kinds of tests and to most that just meant abuse. Verbal and physical. If you could stand it as well as the 'tasks' given like a Hunt or a Raid for example, then you're in.

But Snoke has to want you. If he doesn't see potential, then you die. Nameless and forgotten.

So those in the First Order consider themselves fortunate. Hux looked to the new recruit and sneered,

"What was your first task, the laundry? I've never seen cleaner hands."

Kylo rolled his eyes, that's the best you've got? The recruit said nothing, merely looked blankly to his bed and sat there. His silence was almost in defiance, and so curious, Kylo asked him again but in a more amused manner than Hux,

"You,"

The recruit flit his eyes to Kylo.

"What was you're first task?"

The recruit remained stoic and silent. Kylo merely scoffed a laugh, Hux joined in with a malevolent smirk. After a moment of Kylo and Hux settling down to sleep as the recruit sat ram rod straight, he began robotically,

"You're fight."

Kylo's ears peaked, Hux laid down facing the wall. Kylo watched the recruit, awaiting further information from his mouth,

"Yes?"

He inquired, thick with sarcasm when he refused to speak. The recruit finally met eyes with Kylo, still stiff and unmoving aside from his lips,

"You were distracted. You're opponent, weak."

He turned his head slowly to Hux when he spoke of him, Hux's back muscles pulled taught,

"What?!"

He spat before rising again and Kylo would have smiled if the recruit hadn't noticed his... distraction.

"And how did you deduce that?"

Kylo asked snarkily, but the recruit looked passed him at the peeling walls again. Hux rose from his bed and pounced towards the recruit, who remained unmoving as Hux flicked a knife out of nowhere towards the recruit,

"Call me weak again, you fucking bastard, go on! I will _end you_!"

Hux dug the tip of the knife into the recruit's cheek, still unmoving as crimson liquid ran down the knifes edge. Before he dug deeper or began to twist the knife, Kylo uttered,

"Enough, Hux."

Hux froze, but made no effort to move, Kylo furthered,

"His undoing is for Snoke to decide, not you."

After another reluctant moment, Hux whipped his knife away, wiping it clean with his trousers before puffing his chest out and walking back to his mattress. The recruit sat stiffer, fists on his knees as before. The only difference was the stream of red from the apple of his cheek.

"Why won't you answer the question?"

Kylo asked, more smoothly than Hux but it was still a demand. After another moment in which Kylo assumed he would remain mute, the recruit idly noted,

"A Hunt."

"What?"

Kylo perked his ears once more and the recruit repeated,

"Task one was The Hunt. They were also on a Hunt, we were not successful with stealing their catch. The Latino boy is still theirs."

Hux scoffed but the hairs on Kylo's neck raised, and yet he couldn't begin to imagine why in that moment.  
__________________________________________

Rose choked down the lump forming in her throat as she sat on the end of her bed. Not her own, her sisters. She remembered when the search party formed for Paige. Remembered how and when she knew her sister was missing. Rose stood and traced her fingers along her sisters dresser and oddly, she started to think not only of Paige, but of Finn. Of Poe. Her lips and fists tightened along with her resolve. She yanked the dresser drawer open and fished out a torchlight...

"Rose?"

Her mother called anxiously from the base of the stairs, scrubs on for her shift at the hospital. Rose forced the torchlight down a backpack as she flustered,

"Yea?"

Her voice a little higher than the norm.

"Everything ok, sweetie?"

Mrs. Tico lilted in doubt. For a moment Rose nodded until she realised her mother wouldn't see it,

"Yea!"

She called uneasily in her own ears and she rolled her eyes at herself - be cool, Rose!

"Ok hon, dinner's under foil on the table. I'll see you in the morning."

Her mother called and gathered her keys amongst other belongings and paused at the front door, beside herself on trying to worry less for her youngest... She sighed as she looked up the stairs,

"I love you!"

She added and smiled a small smile when Rose responded,

"I love you too, mom."

Before leaving for work, as she was already a little late. Rose calmed her beating heart before waiting for her mother to leave so that she could herself...

***

Finn refrained from allowing the rising panic in his chest to consume him, begging himself to stay calm. An early memory of Poe surfaced in his mind that he would have chuckled to himself at, were the circumstances not what they are. They were sneaking into this fair that had closed and Poe as always was an adventurous puppy that couldn't be denied, Finn nearly had a heart attack at what they were doing and if they got caught, so much so that when he muttered to himself to calm down, Poe scoffed lightly, " _I am calm._ " And Finn laughed wryly in response, " _I was talking to myself_."

Finn used the successful outcome of the memory to fuel his resolve now. He glanced askance this way and that before grabbing his pre-prepared back pack and edging out of the window to sneak out...

***

Rey paced up and down the corridor at the police department, waiting for someone - anyone to give her news on the search party. Only for Leia to return to say the search party is now strictly those 21 years of age and over. Before she could argue, Han claimed it wasn't a request but a demand.

"He's in serious danger, and so no more kids should be out in the firing line of that."

Rey wondered what could possibly have happened to him, and worried for her grandad being left alone after what she's learnt from the two afore her...  
__________________________________________

"I do hope this 'Latino boy' was difficult for them to catch or that's extraordinarily embarrassing for you."

Hux sneered, the recruit stared to space and Kylo slowly turned with his monotonous words,

"He was with the police."

"Why did they want him?"

Kylo demanded, suddenly more than curious. Another moment passed before he asked again, before finally the recruit answered,

"He was queer."

Hux laughed brutally, but Kylo had an inexplicable feeling he couldn't ignore as he thought back to the last time he saw Rey. One of her friends fit the American Latino description. He was called by... the sheriff. And he'd never seen the look of love that he gave the young man who surfaced from the fire... Kylo turned away from the two in his room and his eyes were darting around the peeling wall afore him.  
__________________________________________

Old Ben Kenobi stirred to see the bright smile of nurse Tico. He returned the smile as he greeted her huskily and she returned his greeting as an old friend.

"Where's my Rey?"

He had to refrain from calling her his Rey of sunshine now, as she'd insisted that she's far too old for it... Only to smile after as though she secretly loved it.

"We could hardly get rid of her, refused to leave you,"

She began with a laugh, Old Ben couldn't help but smile too.

"But Han and Leia got her to have dinner with them, so my colleague said."

She added as she checked his vitals,

"Looking good, Ben!"

She commented with a smile.

"Why thank you! This isn't even me on a good day."

He replied, making her chuckle.

"I'm glad, I'm worried she hasn't really eaten or slept if she's not left..."

He pondered a moment and nurse Tico offered a small smile and gentle hand on his shoulder,

"She'll be better now that you're awake. I'll get you some water."

Mrs Tico didn't leave without another flash of a smile before getting some ice chips and water. Old Ben spent a peaceful moment as he allowed his eyes to wander around the hospital room before lolling his head back against the marginally stiff pillow. He assumed he'd be in a shared ward, what with all the empty beds, crisp as though not slept in. The monotonous beeping of the monitor was all that was heard. But the peace in the air had a sudden, tangible shift.

Old Ben was very sensitive to his surroundings, and was overtly in tune with his observational skills. So this caused an anxious tingling in his stomach as he pushed himself up on the hospital bed with a painful grunt to examine the room more closely. There was nothing. Nothing but the dim, pale beds, machines, and a light flutter of a paper curtain over a window he'd initially assumed to be closed...

He gasped a breath as he flit his gaze toward the door, only to be met by a figure all in black. It was the only observation he could register before the figure raised their gloved hands to force a hospital pillow over Old Ben's fragile face and airways, smothering him and his pleas for help as his heart erratically thudded and lungs burned with the lack of air as he tried to swipe at the hands restricting him. The last thing he had heard, was a woman's grunt.

 

**Author's Note:**

> just to point out NOTHING will happen between Rey and Ben whilst Rey is underage and/or still in high school.
> 
> And the 'five years prior' in which this chapter is set is 2011. And this story isnt Beta read so please excuse mistakes XD.


End file.
